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More flights to, from and within China will be a key feature
of the aviation world in the next few years.
More airports are also planned including several in Tibet.
With this in mind, the Boeing company tested a 737-700 aeroplane
with only one engine working between Chengdu and Lhasa yesterday.
The plane simulated failure in one engine soon after take-off
from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.
The result showed that with one engine the plane could still
complete its journey with a good performance in the constantly
changing weather conditions in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Fred Howard, president of Boeing China Inc, and officials from
the Civil Aviation Administration of China and China Southwest
Airlines were on board during the test.
The plane will continue its simulated engine-failure tests in
the region today and tomorrow.
The pilots will land, take-off, and carry out ''missed approach''
tests, all with just one engine.
The Boeing Company has increased the plane's engine thrust from
25,000 to 27,000 pounds to better cope with the region's geographic
and weather conditions.
The plane can carry 126 to 149 passengers and can fly 6,038
kilometers non-stop. China Southwest Airlines, which has a monopoly
on the Tibet route, invited and helped the Boeing Company to
conduct the test.
Boeing hopes to show that the 737-700 is able to operate between
Chengdu and Tibet even in severe conditions.
The government of Tibet is reportedly planning to build eight
more airports across the region in the 10th Five-Year Plan period
(2001-05).
China Southwest Airlines is expected to be the only airline
that will operate in the region for the next few years.
Cheng Yihe, vice-president, said the company is planning to
buy some smaller planes to fly to Tibet.
"With fewer passengers on those routes, some smaller planes
will be the best choice for us," Cheng said.
(China Daily 09/12/2000)
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