According to a forecast for the global aviation market recently released by Airbus, China’s air passenger traffic will grow five times and  air cargo six times from 2008 to 2026.

The Chinese mainland will need to add more than 2,800 passenger aircraft and cargo aircraft with a total value of more than $329 billion, meaning a three-time increase in the number of passenger aircraft and 11-fold increase in the number of cargo aircraft.

The additional aircraft needed by the Chinese mainland will take up 11.6% of the global passenger and cargo aircraft demand (24,000) for the same period. This will make China the second largest aviation market with the United States retaining first position.

According to this forecast, the additional aircraft in the Chinese mainland will include 1900 single-aisle aircraft, about 700 twin-aisle aircraft and 190 super large aircraft.
Source: English People’s Daily Online

China’s Xiamen International Airport Group has said it is considering partnerships with Taiwan carriers in the hope that working together the two sides could establish regular weekly flights.

The airport, located in southeast China’s Fujian province just across from Taiwan, is looking at various options, including transforming itself into an air cargo hub for flights to Taiwan.

However, we are still at the tentative stage. It has not yet entered into concrete negotiations with air companies from Taiwan.

The state-owned airport group was well positioned for closer cooperation with Taiwanese carriers as it had been taking chartered flights between Taiwan and the mainland for years.

The incoming government of Taiwan president-elect Ma Ying-jeou seems to be leaning towards July 4 for the start of the first regular direct charter flights between China and Taiwan in this new relationship.

Currently, only holiday services are allowed on passenger charter flights, and cargo flights are conducted on a case-by-case basis. Soon — how soon and by whom remains to be decided — there will be regular flights. It will come as no surprise to anyone that American airlines are demanding that they be allowed in on this route citing the open skies policy. Logic tells us this is unlikely.
Source: AFP

Shanghai Airlines plans to increase its flights between the mainland and Thailand to cater to growing passenger and cargo traffic.

The carrier has started a new route, from China’s emerging economic province of Chongqing to Bangkok, and is looking to offer direct service between Shanghai and Bangkok by the end of the year.

It is the first airline to offer a direct Chongqing-Bangkok route. It operates a 184-seat Boeing 737-800 on the route which takes about two and a half hours.

Late last year, Shanghai Airlines doubled its number of flights between Shanghai and Phuket to four a week, using a similar aircraft. The airline started flying Shanghai-Phuket route, which takes five hours, two years ago on a ‘regular charter’ basis.

Shanghai Airlines has since 2006 offered all-freighter services between Bangkok and Shanghai at three flights Boeing 757 cargo planes that have 30 tonnes of capacity.

About one million Chinese tourists visited Thailand last year and the Tourism Authority of Thailand expects the number to reach 1.3 million this year.

Their favorite destinations are Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui.

Freight movements between the two countries have also been surging due to growing trade volume. A good portion of shipments from Thailand to China are IT components.
Source: Bangkok Post

Every now and again it is a good thing to step back, take a deep breath and see the situation in a quick snapshot. Looking at air travel in China:

A new airport will be built in Beijing and scheduled to open by 2015. Even with a third terminal opening at Capital International Airport opening next month, Beijing will need a new airport as Capital with its third terminal will probably be as big as it can be and still be manageable.
97 new airports will be built by 2020.
Total airline passenger traffic in China rose to 185.19 million in the year 2007, up 16%. Cargo traffic increased 13% to 3.95 mln metric tons.
Takeoff and landing fees will drop 40% for foreign carriers and 20% for domestic carriers from March 1 this year. Currently, foreign carriers pay about twice as much as their Chinese counterparts in airport fees.
Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines has signed an order for 30 single-aisle 737s from Boeing Co. for about $1.94 billion. Delivery of the new planes is scheduled between July 2011 and November 2015
Air France has acquired a 25% stake of China Southern’s catering unit through Servair, its inflight catering unit.
China Air still seems keen on getting China Eastern. China Eastern still appears to be keen on this not happening.

Source: Shangaiist

Lufthansa’s Cargo unit has established a joint venture company for the handling of airfreight in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin with Tianjin Airport Hua Yu Air Cargo Terminal (HYACT).

Lufthansa Cargo holds 46% in HYACT, Taiwanese investor Hwa-Hsia International Holding Ltd has 49% and Tianjin Airport International Logistics Joint Stock holds 5%.

Lufthansa Cargo head Carsten Spohr said in a statement, ‘Tianjin will develop into the most important airfreight hub in the north of China within the next few years’.

In China, Lufthansa Cargo already holds 29% in Shanghai Pudong International Airport Cargo Terminal, 50% in the International Cargo Centre Shenzhen, as well as 25% in freight company Jade Cargo International.

Source: Forbes