BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Beijing's new international airport will open to air traffic at the end of September 2019, authorities said Friday.

Construction of the airport and related facilities will be completed on June 30, 2019, around four and a half years after breaking ground, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said at a ceremony marking a one-year countdown.

CAAC head Feng Zhenglin said the project has progressed smoothly and preparations for operation are underway.

A breakdown of the CAAC's work schedule showed the expressway of the new airport will meet operating conditions in June 2019, with the northern line able to open six months earlier. Ground refueling facilities will come into use in April 2019.

The airport, located 46 kilometers south of downtown Beijing, is designed to take pressure off overcrowded Beijing Capital International Airport in the northeastern suburbs. It is situated at the junction of Beijing's Daxing District and Langfang, a city in Hebei Province.