Friday, February 01, 2008

China to Build 97 New Airports by 2020

China to Build 97 New Airports by 2020
(Cargonews Asia)


China plans to build 97 new airports by 2020, a move that will cater to soaring air travel demand and alleviate the strain on existing aviation infrastructure.

China's General Administration of Civil Aviation said the USS$89 billion undertaking over the next 12 years will bring the total number of civilian airports in China to 244, up from 147 in 2006.

It announced the plan in a statement on its website but did not specify if the airports are domestic or international.

The new airports will be built in five main regions of the country – north, east, south-central, south-western and north-western.

When the expansion is complete, it would mean that 82 percent of China's population – expected to hit 1.45 billion people by 2020 – would be living within 100km – or a 90-minute drive – of an airport. Currently, about 60 percent of the country's 1.3 billion people live within this range.

The General Administration predicts freight traffic will rise by 14 percent annually.

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