The vast western region taking up 70 percent of China's territory
will no longer seem so distant as more airlines will extend their
operations there, a senior aviation official said Thursday.
Yang Guoqing, deputy director of the General Administration of
Civil Aviation of China, said that in the next five years, the
throughput of passengers and freight is expected to grow at an
annual rate of eight and 12 percent, respectively.
This means more than 70 airplanes, including 30 flying trunk lines,
will be added, Yang said at the China Western Forum which just
concluded in ,
capital of
Shaanxi Province in northwest China.
Airplanes have more advantages in the vast and sparsely populated
area with varying land forms over automobiles and trains. There is
great potential for the development of the aviation industry in the
western region, Yang said.
In
five years, airports in the west undergo reconstruction, with those
in the cities of Chengdu, Xi'an, Kunming
and Urumqi
turned into regional hubs, he said, adding that 28 new airports
will be built.
Observers say the potential market will attract airlines and
airplane makers both from China and overseas. In fact, Boeing and
Airbus have sent their new models on trial flights to
Xinjiang and Tibet,
and have invited officials, business people and reporters to be
passengers.
Tibet has announced an ambitious plan to build an "air corridors"
between major cities in the autonomous region.
(Xinhua News
Agency 09/06/2001)