A passenger plane takes off at Beijing Daxing International Airport on Sept. 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

China’s latest mega airport, the Beijing Daxing International Airport officially started commercial operations on Sept. 25.

So far, 66 airlines have applied to operate at the airport, including 20 from Chinese mainland.

116 air routes, including 15 overseas airways, are expected to be opened by the airport at the end of this year, connecting 112 destinations. The airport will receive 45 million passengers annually starting from 2022, and international flights will take up to 20 percent of its total. The two figures are expected to reach 72 million and 30 percent, respectively in 2025.

Around 116.7 billion yuan ($16.4 billion) has been invested in the civil aviation sector of the Beijing Daxing International Airport, and over 300 billion yuan has also been co-invested in supporting facilities such as transportation. The dual hubs of the new mega airport and the Beijing Capital International Airport, will build Beijing into a global aviation center, promoting efficient gathering of people in transit, logistics, capital and information.