Beijing opened the doors this week to its latest Olympic creation, a massive glass and steel airport terminal with a graceful sloping roof that will welcome visitors to the Summer Games.

Fronted by pillars of deep imperial red, Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport boasts of polished floors and a high ceiling dotted with triangular skylights.

A high-speed commuter train will transport passengers between the airport and the city, while the runway is capable of handling Airbus' huge A380 super jumbo.

A British journalist said he was amazed by the new air traffic hub after touring the new terminal.

"I'm impressed but I think most people in Britain will be most impressed, not by the scale of it, but by the speed of it, which has been completed in four years from design to born. Actually, it's been finished very well."

Six airlines will use Terminal 3 on Friday when it starts trial operation, namely Sichuan Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Qatar Airways, Qantas Airways, British Airways and El Al Israel Airlines.

According to official statistics, the airport will have the capability to carry 82 million passengers annually after T3 goes into operation, a big jump over the present 35 million.

The T3 project, which cost 27 billion yuan, or over three and half billion U.S. dollars, covers nearly 1,500 hectares. With the new terminal, the airport will be 2.6 times as large as the former one.

China is also upgrading several standby airports near Beijing for the August Olympics by renovating terminals, enlarging tarmacs, lengthening runways and improving services.