India, China airports struggle to meet air travel boom
China and India's air infrastructure is creaking under the soaring demand for air travel and huge investment is needed to satisfy the boom, officials said Tuesday.
By Agencies |
HONG KONG: China and India's air infrastructure is creaking under the soaring demand for air travel and huge investment is needed to satisfy the boom, officials said Tuesday.
Both countries are enjoying an unprecedented aviation boom, with China's air traffic expected to double every five years and India seeing an increase of 29 percent in the number of flights taken from its airports this year.
But the growth is exposing a lack of airports and inadequate facilities, forcing them to invest rapidly to prevent stunting their economic booms, officials from both countries told the Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress here.
"The number of airports in China is insufficient and there is a need for more development in the future," said Shao Daojie, deputy director-general for airports, in the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China.
Speaking at the air show, Shao said 73 airports were now under construction across the country, bringing a total of around 190 airports by 2010.
But he added, 91 airports -- mainly smaller, regional ones -- were actually running at a loss and only survived by government subsidies.
"Many airports suffer from serious losses ... This is one of the major challenges we are facing," Shao said. Despite this challenge, he said China would not be opening up its airports to foreign investment.
India is also struggling to provide the necessary infrastructure to match its booming demand for air travel, and needs to spend 9.6 billion dollars over the next five years improving airports across the country, said K. Ramalingam, regional executive director for the Civil Airports Authority of India.
"The economic benefits of air transport are so great that the infrastructure development needs to be accommodated to achieve reasonable levels of prosperity," he said.
Ramalingam said he expected 100 million people to travel by plane this year in India, compared to just 43 million in 2003-2004. As a result, the government was working on expanding existing airports, but also developing an improved network of non-urban airports.
But unlike China, India is slowly opening up the airport market, and two airports had recently benefited from private money in the sector, Ramalingam said, with potential for further outside cash.
Both countries are enjoying an unprecedented aviation boom, with China's air traffic expected to double every five years and India seeing an increase of 29 percent in the number of flights taken from its airports this year.
But the growth is exposing a lack of airports and inadequate facilities, forcing them to invest rapidly to prevent stunting their economic booms, officials from both countries told the Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress here.
"The number of airports in China is insufficient and there is a need for more development in the future," said Shao Daojie, deputy director-general for airports, in the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China.
Speaking at the air show, Shao said 73 airports were now under construction across the country, bringing a total of around 190 airports by 2010.
But he added, 91 airports -- mainly smaller, regional ones -- were actually running at a loss and only survived by government subsidies.
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"Many airports suffer from serious losses ... This is one of the major challenges we are facing," Shao said. Despite this challenge, he said China would not be opening up its airports to foreign investment.
India is also struggling to provide the necessary infrastructure to match its booming demand for air travel, and needs to spend 9.6 billion dollars over the next five years improving airports across the country, said K. Ramalingam, regional executive director for the Civil Airports Authority of India.
"The economic benefits of air transport are so great that the infrastructure development needs to be accommodated to achieve reasonable levels of prosperity," he said.
Ramalingam said he expected 100 million people to travel by plane this year in India, compared to just 43 million in 2003-2004. As a result, the government was working on expanding existing airports, but also developing an improved network of non-urban airports.
ADVERTISEMENT
But unlike China, India is slowly opening up the airport market, and two airports had recently benefited from private money in the sector, Ramalingam said, with potential for further outside cash.
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