Beijing, China ? Beijing plans to start building a second international airport after the 2008 Olympics, a news report said today.

Officials are looking for a site for the second airport, which could be as far away as neighboring Hebei province, the China Daily said. It said that officials recently were told to speed up the selection process so that other planning can begin.

The Chinese capital is in the midst of a massive expansion of its first international airport to cope with booming passenger numbers and an influx of tourists expected for the 2008 Summer Games.

The expansion of Beijing’s first international airport is due to be completed by next year. It is meant to expand its capacity to 60 million travelers and 1.8 million tons of cargo per year, up from the present limit of 35 million passengers and 780,000 tons of cargo.