All planes leaving and landing at the Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) must use English in wireless communication with ground controllers from May 5, 2010.

This seems a sound, nay essential, move. On YouTube there are clips of pilots on China based aircraft landing in the United States and their English is, politely, not of the best.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said in a statement on its website that at least 30% of the flights must switch from Chinese to English from May 5 this year and no less than 60% must do that a year later.

The statement quoted CAAC deputy director Li Jian as saying at a conference, ‘Many foreign airlines have complained they couldn’t precisely judge their planes’ position in the air because of failing to understand the talk between Chinese pilots and air traffic controllers in their mother tongue, which led to hidden safety problems.’

He said the problems might worsen as airlines were expected to add flights to Beijing after Terminal 3 was opened in the run-up to the Olympic Games.
Source: Trading Markets

Beijing Capital International Airport has held its last and largest drill before the trial operation starts February 29.

More than 8,000 passengers participated in the three-hour drill, checking in more than 7,000 pieces of luggage on 146 domestic and international flights.

Organizers said the main purpose of the drill was to test procedures of departure, arrival and transfer, as well as VIP security.

Most participants were university students and other volunteers selected by an online survey. The number of flights involved was nearly double that in the previous drill and was close to the estimated daily average expected when the terminal goes into operation.

Six airlines will use Terminal 3, including Sichuan Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Qatar Airways, Qantas Airways, British Airways and El Al Israel Airlines.

After Terminal 3 ís opening, the airport will have the capacity to carry 82 million passengers annually, against the present 35 million. The expansion cost RMB27 billion ($3.65 billion).
Source: Shanghai Daily

According to provincial transport bureau sources East China’s Jiangsu Province has serious plans about expanding air routes to and from the area.

Pan Yonghe, the transport bureau director, said the plan is to open more than 40 air routes and carry 13 million passengers in 2008. 30 of the air routes will be linked to domestic cities, with the rest overseas.

To deal with this increase in passengers the province will spend RMB400 million (about $53.3 million) in building a new airport in Huai’an City which should be finished this year , and in expanding three others, including the Nanjing Lukou International Airport.

Are the figures quoted likely?

Last year, the province’s airports handled 10.76 million passengers. That is an increase of 30.3% over 2006 so, yes, it is very likely.

Since 1978, Jiangsu has been a hot spot for economic development, and is now one of China’s most prosperous provinces.
Source: Window of China

China plans to build 97 new airports by 2020. China’s General Administration of Civil Aviation said the $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.

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% of the popularion lives with this range.
China’s air passenger volume rose by 15.3% to 51.9 million in the third quarter of 2007, and air freight volume increased by 11.5% to 1.05 million tons.
Source: CargoNews Asia and
Bloomberg

The China Daily — so you can take it as official — reports China has ordered domestic airlines to reduce delays and improve service around August’s Beijing Olympics or face penalties.

Among other possible penalties one that could really hurt is that airlines that fail to improve performance could be barred from expanding services for two years. Scrutiny will be intensified from July to September nd airlines have fair warning of what is expected.

It is, in truth, asking an awful lot.

China’s airlines and airports have struggled with soaring demand for passenger and cargo services amid the country’s economic boom. Despite increases in airline fleets and new airports, air traffic corridors have become clogged around major cities and hubs.

The situation is not helped by the fact that total control of the air rests with the PLA which, perhaps understandably, has a tendency to regard the skies as being an arena in which they allow domestic airlines to operate. And sometimes, quite arbitarily, can withdraw that permission for a period of time which can range from minutes to even more than a day.

Then there are the airports.

Beijing’s overcrowded airport, the world’s 9th busiest, will open a new US$4.6 billion terminal and runway this year to cope with the demand. And, in truth, it will only just be enough for the Olympics.

The Civil Aviation Administration has ordered airlines to stop overbooking flights and keep one or two planes on standby at six key airports in case of delays. Which means, practically be definition, that the airlines are going have to turn customers away. Which will be very difficult.

To make it even more difficult the aviation regulator has also extended a penalty measure introduced last year allowing it to cancel flights that are regularly delayed.

It looks like being a difficult summer for the airlines.
Source: Canadian Press