It's a milestone for Beijing's new airport. Daxing International Airport saw its first passenger plane test flights Monday morning. Four aircraft from four major Chinese carriers were on board. Cui Hui'ao tells us more.

A maiden voyage for Beijing's massive new airport. Four Chinese airlines sent their flagship models to take part in the airport's first passenger plane test flight Monday morning. China Southern Airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Air dispatched Boeing and Airbus planes of various sizes. They flew from the existing Beijing Capital International Airport and landed on the four runways of Beijing Daxing. The test covered approach and entry and departure procedures. Experts say the drill shows the new airport has now turned its focus from infrastructure to operation preparations.

YAN XIAODONG CAAC NORTH CHINA REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION "We will carry out professional verification of every flight procedure, to ensure the safe take-off and landing of planes once the airport enters service."

China Eastern and China Southern Airlines will transfer most of their Beijing routes to the new airport in the coming years. The bases for the two companies are nearly complete. Xiamen Air will transfer all of its flights to Daxing Airport next March. Xiamen has also confirmed that its subsidiary, Hebei Air, will join the first-day operations of the new airport.

CHEN LI ASSISTANT TO GENERAL MANAGER, XIAMEN AIRLINES "After the transfer to Daxing International Airport, Xiamen Air will invest more than 50 aircraft by 2025. We will better serve the collaborative development strategy of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Area and the construction of the Xiong'an New Area, by building a fully-covered air network, which includes flights from Daxing to major domestic cities, Southeast and Northeast Asia, as well as Europe, Australia and America."

The new facility is Beijing's second major civil airport. It is located at the junction of Beijing's Daxing District and Langfang, a city in neighboring Hebei Province. It is scheduled to open this September and is expected to handle about 45 million passengers a year by 2021.

CUI HUI'AO BEIJING "After welcoming the first test plane in early January, the first test of flight verification procedures was completed today. This means the Daxing airport is one step closer to becoming another aviation hub for China's capital city. Once put into operation, the new airport will bring new opportunities and convenience. Cui Hui'ao, CGTN, Beijing."