Beijing airport runway to reopen after overhaul

BEIJING - Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) has finished the overhaul of a runway and will put it back into service on Friday morning. BCIA started maintenance on the middle of its three runways on May 23. About 32,000 square meters of the runway has been repaired and over 130 centerline lights replaced.

The overhaul affected 11 airlines and hundreds of flights were canceled in the last six days.

The middle runway was put into use in 1958 and became dilapidated due to heavy traffic in one of the world's busiest airports. BCIA handles an average of 1,650 flights every day.

The overhaul will help increase flight safety, according to Wang Zhiqing, vice director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.