Beijing has two civil airports: Capital International Airport (PEK) and Nanyuan Airport (NAY). Nanyuan is a small facility jointly used for military and civilian purposes. While it is the hub for China United Airlines, very few regularly scheduled flights operate from here. At present, Nanyuan has flights to Dalian, Chengdu, Harbin and a few other cities. Capital International is the largest and busiest airport in China and serves as the main hub for China's national carrier Air China. In the past decade it has grown to be one of the world's busiest airports.

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) lies northeast of downtown Beijing in Shunyi District, some 25 km from the city center. BCIA services the largest number of international and domestic airlines in China, about 200 in total. The main cities of every province and autonomous region within China and nearly seventy international cities and regions throughout the world are accessible form this airport. Most foreign visitors choose Beijing as their first port of call with over 55 foreign airlines having established offices here.  There are over 5,000 flights from here weekly to every corner of the world.

Terminal 3 of the Capital Airport has been attracting much public attention since coming into use in 2008. It has a unique modernistic design and is the second largest airport terminal in the world, only after Terminal 3 of the Dubai International Airport. Some 26 national and international airlines have moved into this building that runs 2900 meters long from north to south. The terminal has three concourses (T3A, T3B and T3C) serving both domestic and international passengers. Regular shuttle buses run between all three terminals to facilitate passenger flow. There is a subway train connecting Terminals 2 and 3. There are rapid electric trams running among these three areas. In addition, Terminal 3 also has vehicles, sending passengers to Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 with in 7 or 8 minutes via fast passage. 

 Airline Companies in T1
Grand China Airlines Domestic (CN), Grand China Express (GS), Hainan Airlines Domestic (HU), Deer Air (JD)

 Airline Companies in T2
China Southern Airlines (CZ), United Eagle Airlines (EU), Xiamen Airlines (MF), China Eastern Airlines (MU), Dongbei Airlines (NS), Chongqing Airlines (OQ), Shenzhen Airlines (HZ), Krasnoyarsk Airlines (7B), Air Berlin (AB), Air France (AF), Continental Airlines (CO), Domodedovo Airlines (E3), Ethiopian Airlines (ET), Rossiya-Russian Airlines (FV), Garuda Indonesia, P.T. (GA), Far Eastern Air Transport (H8), Hainan Airlines International (HU), Uzbekistan Airlines (HY), Sat Airlines (HZ), Air Koryo (JS), Air Astana (KC), Aeroflot Russian Airlines (SU), Korean Air (KE), AirBridge Airlines of Russia (RU), Iran Air (IR), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL), Malaysia Airlines (MH), Northwest Airlines (NW), Philippine Airlines (PR), Turkmenistan Airlines (T5), Sri Lankan Airlines (UL), Air Zimbabwe (UM), Vietnam Airlines (VN), Aerosvit Ukrainian Airlines (VV), Miat Mongolian Airlines (OM), Vladivostok Air (XF)

 Airline Companies in T3
Air China (CA), Shanghai Airlines (FM), Shandong Airlines (SC), Sichuan Airlines (3U), Air Canada (AC), Finnair (AY), British Airways (BA), Cathay Pacific Airways (CX), Emirates (EK), Japan Airlines (JL), Dragonair (KA), Deutsche Lufthansa (LH), EL AL Israel Airlines (LY), Egypt Air (MS), All Nippon Airways (NH), Air Macau (NX), Austrian Airlines (OS), Asiana Airlines (OZ), Qantas Airways (QF), Siberia Airlines (S7), Scandinavian Airlines (SK), Singapore Airlines (SQ), Thai Airways (TG), Turkish Airlines (TK), United Airlines (UA), Lot Polish Airlines (LO), Etihad Airways (EY)

 Airport Transportation 

 Airport  Express and Shuttle Bus
The Airport Express Line of the Beijing Subway serves the airport from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 and then takes passengers to Dongzhimen via Sanyuanqiao. This line was opened just prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. It carries passengers to the airport in twenty minutes from the city center, covering a distance of 28 kilometers. In addition, there are eight different shuttle bus routes connecting the airport with various locations in the city such as Xidan, Beijing Railway Station, Nanyuan Airport and others.

 Cross Terminals Free Shuttle Bus
Every seven minutes, there is a free shuttle bus leaving from Terminal 3 for Terminal 2 and then Terminal 1, vice versa. The bus just takes 15 minutes for one-way.
Pick-up stations: T1 -- Gate3-5 on the 1st Floor; T2 -- Gate 11 on the 1st Floor; T3 -- Gate 5 on the 1st Floor
Route: Gate 5 of T3 Arrival Floor→T2 Departure Floor→T1 Departure Floor→Gate 11 of T2 Arrival Floor→Gate 5 of T1 Arrival Floor→T3 Departure Floor→Gate 5 of T3 Arrival Floor
Operating hours: every 10 minutes at 06:00~23:00; every 30 minutes at 23:00~06:00 (the next day)

 Driving to the Airport
There are four expressways leading to the airport with two of them running directly from northeastern Beijing to the airport and two others connecting with nearby highways. The first expressway was opened in September 1993. The twenty-kilometer long highway runs entirely within the confines of the Beijing municipality starting from Sanyuanqiao at the 3rd Ring Road.  The second expressway opened in 2008 just in time for the Olympics. It is nearly sixteen kilometers long starting from Yaojiayuan Lu and running north to Terminal 3 of the airport. The North Airport Route completed in 2006 runs east from the Beijing-Chengde Expressway to Terminals 1 and 2, while the South Route runs from the Beijing-Chengde Expressway to the eastern 6th Ring Road at Litian Bridge. The South Route intersects with the first two expressways enabling vehicles to reach all three airport terminals. Metered taxis are available at officially designated taxi stands. Journey time to the city center is about 45-60 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Fares will generally run CNY 100-200 including any tolls.

Because of the incredible growth of passenger traffic in and out of Beijing, a new civilian airport for domestic flights will begin construction in 2010. Capital Airport will still act as the international hub and construction of a fourth runway to expand its capacity is being planned.