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2008 Olympics
2008 Olympics
UPDATED: December 11, 2006 NO.15 APR.13, 2006
Flying High
The aviation sector is gearing up to handle the influx of visitors expected for the 2008 Olympics
By TANG YUANKAI
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China's civil aviation industry is preparing for the 2008 Olympics, with airports in cities that will host Olympic activities expanding and renovating their facilities to accommodate the influx of visitors to the Games.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has required such work at airports in Beijing, Qingdao and other cities, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2007.

At present, 12 of the 16 airports involved are already expanding or have prepared such plans.

Currently, the number of flights in Beijing-centered north China cannot meet the demand, and air routes are being adjusted to accommodate Olympic traffic, according to the North China Air Traffic Management Bureau, under the CAAC.

The expansion and renovation program is one of the key tasks in China's Civil Aviation Plan for the Beijing Olympics, said bureau officials.

Among the projects at Beijing Capital International Airport is the addition of a third terminal. Once construction is completed, the airport will have three parallel runways, three terminal buildings and 180 gates. This is expected to meet the heavy demand during the Olympic period, with an annual capacity to handle 60 million people, 1.8 million tons of cargo and 500,000 flights. The third terminal building, which is expected to be put into service in 2007, will be the largest single airport terminal building in the world.

The North China Air Traffic Management Bureau said if there are any problems because of bad weather or failure of facilities, planes can land at nearby alternative airports.

According to the Olympic Charter, all members of Olympic delegations will receive special consideration, including being permitted to import personal items and facilities needed for the Olympics duty-free.

In order to ensure a safe, convenient and efficient transportation service for the Olympics, the North China Air Traffic Management Bureau established a special committee last August, composed of airline companies, airports in north China and itself, to take charge of Olympic-related work. The committee set up seven offices--air transportation, airport operation, security, transportation service, information, emergency handling and media service--to handle the details.

In 2008, Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province will host the Olympic sailing events. The expansion of the city's Liuting International Airport has been completed. The runway and parallel taxiway were extended from 2,600 meters to 3,400 meters. A new terminal building with a floor space of 45,000 square meters was built and the existing one was entirely renovated. The airport also upgraded facilities related to telecommunications service, navigation, meteorology, fuel, power and water supplies, waste water treatment, trash handling and fire fighting. Local authorities are making plans to improve the highway network serving the airport and afforest the surrounding area.

The Qingdao airport is expected to have an annual capacity to handle 5 million passengers and 120,000 tons of cargo in 2008. In addition, it will increase both domestic and international flights, and create an "air corridor" between Qingdao and Beijing during the Olympic Games. The airport authority said it would strictly adhere to international standards to boost the service and management level of the airport.

"We will hold two mock drills of Olympic aviation services starting from August this year and lasting to next year with a total period of 100 days evenly split," said Yang Yuanyuan, Director of the CAAC.

"This is like a competition," he continued. "We hope through it we can find our shortcomings and problems and improve them in time. We'll do the best we can to ensure a wonderful Beijing Olympics."



 
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