HONG KONG_Beijing's international airport said Thursday it expects a strong increase in passenger volume because of the country's rapid economic growth and a relaxation of a ban on late-night flights.

Beijing Capital International Airport Co., which operates the Beijing airport, said it expects higher passenger capacity by the end of this year when the reconstruction of facilities at the airport is completed.

It said the airport will also benefit from a government decision in February to relax a ban on flights after midnight. Planes are now allowed to take off and land up until 2 a.m.

"All these favorable factors will contribute to higher air traffic volume at the Beijing airport," airport Chairman Wang Zhanbin said in a statement, without elaborating.

In the first quarter of 2006, passenger volume reached 10.44 million, up 20 percent from the year-earlier period. Freight volume rose 19 percent to 202,280 metric tons (222,509 short tons).

The airport said it handled 41 million passengers last year, up from 34.9 million in the previous year.