Beijing Capital International Airport, operator of China's busiest airfield, says profit in the first-half of the year fell 90% due to costs incurred with the construction of a new terminal and flight cancellations caused by natural disasters. Net income plunged to just US$8.2 million.

Beijing's operating costs more than doubled because of the opening of the new terminal in February. Passenger numbers in the first half of the year were little changed from a year earlier, after snowstorms in February and an earthquake in May forced carriers to scrap flights nationwide.

Flights to Beijing were capped from July to help the airport cope with increased passenger numbers and toughened security checks for August's Olympic Games. The aviation regulator also ordered cuts in flights ahead of the opening of the new terminal to ease the start of services.

Beijing, Asia's second-busiest airport, handled 199,830 aircraft in the first half of the year, 1% less than a year earlier. Domestic passenger numbers fell 2.5% to 19.5 million.

It is expected that the airport operator will report a 79% decline in its full-year profit because of the cost of building Terminal 3, which it is currently renting from its state-owned parent company.