Shenzhen International Airport registers its 20-millionth passenger in 2007

The Shenzhen International Airport registered its 20-millionth passenger on December 11th. The airport, one of the busiest in China, welcomed its 20-millionth passenger in 2007. The reception of the 20-millionth passenger mark was followed by a ceremony attended by Huang Chuanqi, President of the Shenzhen Airport Group Corporation. According to Huang Chuanqi, the passenger growth of the airport can be attributed to the fast social and economic development of Shenzhen. Shenzhen International Airport passenger volume doubled in the last four years. It registered ten million passengers in 2003 and, four years later, broke the 20-million mark. “The breakthrough also marks the success of the airport’s strategy to extend its service to potential passengers in the Pearl River Delta area,” said Huang. Shenzhen international Airport began extending its reach all over the Pearl River Delta area in 2007. It has nine terminals set up across the area which connect Hong Kong, Macao, Huizhou and Zhongshan to Shenzhen. The airport also linked Shenzhen to other cities around the Pearl River Delta by providing land and air transport services in the Delta area. The Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong and the government of Shenzhen are working on a plan to set up a direct rail link between the airports of the two cities. This is intended to boost air traffic in the region. The two governments have started exploring the possibility of developing the railway. A joint task force will be established to oversee the plan, which will begin in 2008. “Shenzhen airport will take chances to cooperate with Hong Kong airport to enhance its competitive edge and create a win-win situation for the two airports with distinguished advantages in serving domestic and international passengers,” Huang added. Shenzhen International Airport also launched several promotional campaigns which attracted airline companies to boost their flight service in Shenzhen. These include cancellation of fees for night flights, a subsidy offer for new routes, and various promotions with visitors from the Southeast Asian region. This should add to the growing volume of passengers. Currently, the Shenzhen International Airport has begun construction of a new terminal building, a second runway, and a new navigation tower expected to be completed and ready by 2011. When finished, the expansion will increase the airport’s handling capacity to 24 million passengers and 1 million tons of cargo yearly.