Russia's S7 Airlines is set to relocate to Beijing's new Daxing Airport on March the 29th. The airline will join a number of its oneworld partners who have already made the switch to Beijing's brand new Airport.

Since its opening in late September earlier this year, several carriers, both Chinese and international, have been moving to Beijing's Daxing airport. Indeed, so far five out of eight international airlines to announce a move to Beijing Daxing are, or will become, oneworld members. The first of the oneworld airlines to move to Beijing's new Daxing Airport was British Airways towards the end of October.

When will S7 move?

According to CH-Aviation, S7 Airlines is set to make the move to Beijing Daxing on the 29th of March. The airline currently flies to Beijing's older Capital International Airport, which is slightly closer to the city center.

S7 will join a growing list of foreign carriers choosing to fly to the brand new airport. The huge new airport opened its runway to China on the 25th of September, with the airport's inaugural flight being an Airbus A380 operated by China Southern which flew to Guangzhou.

S7 Airlines, Beijing Daxing, oneworld
A China Southern A380 operated the inaugural Beijing Daxing flight. Photo: N509FZ via Wikimedia

A oneworld hub?

Currently, a majority of international airlines that have moved or plan to move to the new Daxing Airport are oneworld members. British Airways, a founding member of the oneworld alliance, was the first international airline to land at the new airport on the 27th of October.

Additional oneworld airlines that have so far announced intentions to move to the Chinese capital's new airport include Finnair, Malaysia Airlines, and now S7 Airlines. They will also be joined by Royal Air Maroc on the 16th of January 2020. While not a current member of the oneworld alliance, Royal Air Maroc is set to join the group in 2020.

S7 Airlines, Beijing Daxing, oneworld
S7 Airlines enjoyed a prosperous period of growth in 2019. Photo: Boeing

Future lounge location?

At a London event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the oneworld alliance in February, the alliance's CEO, Rob Gurney, announced that the alliance would begin to open its own lounges. Currently, the airlines themselves operate lounges across the globe.

With such a high concentration of oneworld members in one space, it could make sense for oneworld to invest in constructing a lounge in Beijing Daxing. It likely doesn't make sense for an individual airline to accomplish given the cost. Currently, eligible passengers from both British Airways and Finnair can use two third party lounges. As such, Beijing looks as though it ticks all of the boxed for a oneworld operated lounge.

Do you think Beijing Daxing would make a good destination for oneworld's first in house lounge? Should other oneworld airlines fly to Beijing Daxing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!