By Tim Ferguson
Tuesday, April 01 2008 07:07 AM
URL: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62039568,00.htm

Beijing's new US$3 billion airport terminal has completed the rollout of a major part of its IT infrastructure ahead of the Olympic Games in August.

Sita, the IT services company which specializes in aviation, has completed the installation of 700 work stations that will be used for check-in, boarding and transfers.

Beijing is due to host the Olympic Games in August and has built the new terminal at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) to cope with the predicted surge in air travelers.

Like London Heathrow's Terminal 5--which endured a problematic opening last week--BCIA's Terminal 3 is intended to dramatically boost the capacity of the airport by 30 million passengers per year.

Terminal 3 took fours years to build and opened in two stages, becoming fully operational on 26 March.

The terminal uses Sita's AirportConnect software on 330 check-in counters and will extend the software to 50 self service kiosks in time for the Olympics.

Gao Lijia, deputy general manager for BCIA, said the deployment of the technology will make travel to and from the Olympic Games as "stress-free as possible for both athletes and spectators".

The number of flights arriving in Beijing is predicted to increase by 70 percent during the Games with peak days of around 1,900 flights, compared to the usual 1,150 average.

Tim Ferguson of Silicon.com reported from London.