China must open up its skies to more flexible civil aviation routes or face the possibility of increased congestion.
Owen Dell, Cathay Pacific Airways manager of international operations, says: “Half of the 25 fastest growing airlines are from China. And with annual growth at 15%, the industry will double in growth every five years. This is wonderful news for us in aviation, but causes some challenges, one of which is congestion.”
“Without sufficient aerospace growth will be constrained. At present civil aviation only has access to a small amount of airspace, confined to tight corridors.
Dell says the 2008 Olympics alone will boost civil aviation by 25% and by 2020 the country alone will have 12 million aircraft movements – a 400% increase from today.
“With growth comes [the possibility of] delays. Despite this, China has some of the most advanced air traffic control infrastructure in the world. The challenge is to open up airspace by increasing the capacity to plan and manage air routes and more collaborative decision making with air traffic management.”
However, Dell is upbeat in his analysis of solving this issue. “We are witnessing a great moment in history with China’s unprecedented growth in civil aviation,” he adds.
Owen Dell, Cathay Pacific Airways manager of international operations, says: “Half of the 25 fastest growing airlines are from China. And with annual growth at 15%, the industry will double in growth every five years. This is wonderful news for us in aviation, but causes some challenges, one of which is congestion.”
“Without sufficient aerospace growth will be constrained. At present civil aviation only has access to a small amount of airspace, confined to tight corridors.
Dell says the 2008 Olympics alone will boost civil aviation by 25% and by 2020 the country alone will have 12 million aircraft movements – a 400% increase from today.
“With growth comes [the possibility of] delays. Despite this, China has some of the most advanced air traffic control infrastructure in the world. The challenge is to open up airspace by increasing the capacity to plan and manage air routes and more collaborative decision making with air traffic management.”
However, Dell is upbeat in his analysis of solving this issue. “We are witnessing a great moment in history with China’s unprecedented growth in civil aviation,” he adds.
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Source: Flight Daily News
