The terminal building for Olympic charter flights was opened on July 8 at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA).

The terminal with 12 boarding gates is a part of the Terminal 3 (T3) building, which is a major expansion project in Beijing's preparations for the passenger surge during the Olympics.

The dragon-shaped building, the world's largest airport terminal, was built at a cost of 27 billion yuan (US$3.8 billion), and designed by leading British architect Lord Foster.

With Terminal 3's opening on February 29 this year, the airport can handle up to 76 million passengers annually, more than double the previous figure.

The airport has also designated about 100,000 square meters of tarmac for the Olympics and Paralympics charter flights to tackle the Olympic travel rush.

The airport is expected to receive about 5.56 million people during the Olympic Games in August.

The terminal for Olympic charter flights will continue to be used for special flights providing privileged services after the Games, according to sources with the airport.

Customs checks at the terminal are taken up by a team of 14 policewomen, who are to go into plane cabins to help passengers complete the customs procedure.