BEIJING'S colossal new airport terminal opened on Friday with the first commercial plane touching down earlier than scheduled, a landmark moment for the Chinese capital as it prepares for the Olympics.

Shandong Airlines flight SC1151 from Jinan in eastern China landed at Beijing Capital Airport's US$2.7 billion (S$3.76 billion) Terminal Three at 8.39 am Singapore time, 11 minutes early, according to an AFP reporter.

British Airways has the honour of the first international flight to depart from the new terminal, with its service to London scheduled to fly out shortly after midday.

Designed to appear like a giant dragon, the terminal is the largest covered structure ever built, according to its British architect Norman Foster.

The building runs for 3.25 kilometres and covers 98 hectares of floor space, the equivalent of about 170 soccer pitches.

Beijing's old two terminals have been running above capacity for years and the upgraded airport was built in time to cope with the huge influx of visitors expected for the Olympics in August. -- AFP