Gao: China to ensure smooth air traffic in the Olympics

Deputy Director General Gao Hongfeng of the Civil Aviation Administration of China promised to take steps to guarantee smooth travel during the Olympic Games next year. These include strengthening infrastructure construction, expanding major airports, improving air traffic control, and forming leadership team for the Olympics. In a related development, Gao said China has experienced rapid development in civil aviation in the last few years and has become the world’s second largest aviation country next to the United States. Last year, the Chinese aviation industry transported 160 million passengers. In the first half of the year, the growth rate was up 19.6 percent from the same period last year. There are about 1,200 flights daily with an average of 84 flights landing or taking off during peak hours. The CAAC said China has increased its fleet to 1,067. It is estimated to grow to 1,500 by 2010 and to 3,000 by 2020.