(Yicai Global) Sept. 25 -- Beijing Daxing International Airport officially opened today, playing host to seven aircrafts' maiden takeoffs after welcoming passengers five days ahead of schedule.

Beijing Nanyuan, China's oldest airport, will cease offering civil aviation services tonight in order to make way for the new transport hub, Beijing Daily reported.

China Southern, China Eastern, Air China, Capital Airlines, Hebei Airlines and Xiamen Air are all debuting Airbus and Boeing planes on domestic flights at the new airport, which only passengers with special invitation cards have access to today. Carriers offered the invites to passengers via public campaigns before the airport opened.

The first phase of Daxing will cost some CNY80 billion (USD11.2 billion) of a total CNY450 billion. It hopes to be welcoming 45 million passengers a year by 2022, 72 million by 2025 and eventually 100 million.

Several international airlines, such as British Airways, Finnair and LOT Polish Airlines, will start running flights from the new airport next month.

Editor: James Boynton