China must take ‘urgent steps’ to improve air traffic system, says IATA Inadequate airspace capacity for civil air traffic, rapid growth of the Chinese aviation industry, capacity constraints at airports, and rigid operating regulations add up to congestion and delays for carriers serving the mainland’s busy cargo gateways, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This week hundreds of flights were cancelled and airlines racked up thousands of hours in delays as military exercises by the People’s Liberation Army along the eastern seaboard had a serious affect on daytime traffic. The disruptions are expected to continue for another two weeks. “The Chinese authorities recognize this problem and are working to improve the airspace efficiency over China, and IATA is providing support,” said an IATA spokesman. “Some of the improvements they have made over the years include strengthening the civil-military cooperation through the flexible use of airspace, implementing performance based navigation as well as implementing a centralized air traffic flow management system.” But the IATA spokesman warned that although it was not a problem that could be solved overnight, “urgent steps will be needed to improve the air route network planning and upgrade the air traffic management system.” The army controls China’s air space and shares it with civil aviation, but often military exercises in the Taiwan Strait force airlines to take wide detours or simply delay scheduled flights. Once a departure slot is missed it is difficult to be reallocated a take off time. Last year, Shanghai and Beijing were ranked last among 35 international airports in punctuality, with only 18 percent of flights out of Beijing International and 28 percent of flights from Shanghai Pudong leaving as scheduled. Most cargo flies at night so even though delays of several hours were being recorded at 12 airports, including Shanghai Pudong, China’s busiest airport, the impact on freighters has so far been limited. However, as the military drills continue, cargo operators fear the delays could extend into the crucial evening and earl morning hours. “If there are rolling delays from morning to afternoon then into the night, then no one can escape,” was how AirBridgeCargo vice president of scheduled operations in Asia Pacific Joanna Li put it. Shanghai Pudong International Air Cargo Terminal (Pactl) vice president Lutz Grzegorz said the terminal had not faced any major delays “so far”. “Delays occur for various reasons every now and then,” was all he would say. The current delays are very much “now” and IATA said they were having a big impact on carriers operating in China, both the domestic airlines and international operators. “Partnership between the air traffic authorities and airlines will be critical in order to minimize the disruptions and delays to the airline operations. Pre-coordination with all carriers will be crucial, both in terms of planning alternative routing, and for operational updates on the airspace in a timely manner,” the spokesman said. China’s state media on Monday warned airports and airlines to plan for delays as “high-frequency exercises conducted by another party” –– a euphemism for military exercises by the People’s Liberation Army –– would continue until Aug. 15. There was no confirmation from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, but the airports impacted include the busiest in China. State television operator CCTV said the “high frequency exercises” would affect 12 airports from July 20 to Aug. 15. It advised airlines to reduce flights by 25 percent at the airports of Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai Pudong, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan, Wuxi, Ningbo, Qingdao, Lianyungang, Zhengzhou and Wuhan. The 12 airports had a combined annual throughput of more than 6.5 million tons in 2013. China’s overall air cargo volume grew 4.9 percent in 2013 to about 12.58 million tons, with airports in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou handling 51.8 percent of the total throughput. Shanghai Pudong International Airport maintained its No. 1 position in cargo and mail transportation, handling almost 2.8 million tons. First-half figures showed air freight volume continuing an upward track. Airlines have been counting on a healthy peak season to add to the rising volume and improve yields and profitability. JOC NEWS - JULY 25 2014
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 05:27:55 +0000
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