Report: China to Open New Flight Routes

BEIJING – China will authorize new flight paths to increase domestic and international flights ahead of the 2008 Olympics to ease congestion and reduce delays, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

The proposed new routes include those for flights between the capital Beijing and Japan, South Korea and Mongolia, the official China Daily newspaper said on its Web site.

There are 186 flights each week between Beijing and Japan, and 154 flights between the Chinese city and South Korea, the newspaper said, citing China’s General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC).

The CAAC will also open new domestic flight paths between Shanghai and Hong Kong; and from Beijing to Shanghai and Guangzhou, the report said.

The report cited Gunther Matschnigg, the International Air Transport Association’s chief of safety and operations, as saying air traffic in China is expected to grow at least 50 percent by 2008, and an additional 15 percent during the Olympic games.

Beijing’s airport is being expanded to nearly double its capacity by 2015 to handle 60 million passengers from the current 35 million a year.

The civil aviation authority also plans to improve radar navigation systems in Beijing area, the report said.