THE AIRPORTS BUILDING PROGRAMME

摘要

Over the next five years the Chinese government is to spend ￡44bn on refurbishing and building 95 airports. This investment, part of the country's eleventh five-year plan for national economic and social development, will see the number of Chinese airports increase from 147 in 2006, the last year for which official data is available, to 220 by 2010, including three international airports and eight major regional hubs. A further 22 airports are to be completed after this date. Peter Budd, chairman of Arup Aviation, a division within consultant Arup, says the growth in China's aviation sector could be even greater than the official estimate. "It's a general economic rule of thumb that aviation grows at twice the rate of a national economy. With China growing at 9-10% a year, it's clear that the potential growth in aviation is absolutely mega." The reason for the growth is simple - for an economy to grow, people and goods have to travel and air travel is both quicker and easier to manage than rail, road or sea transport.