IATA has urged China to continue the development of its aviation industry by ensuring sufficient capacity based on global standards and best practices.
Speaking at the China Civil Aviation Development Forum 2012 in Beijing, IATA director general and CEO, Tony Tyler, said that air transport played a significant role in China’s ongoing economic development.
“China is looking to increase its share of world trade from 10.4 per cent to 15 per cent. Aviation connectivity will be critical to making that happen,” he said. “Already, (China) is prioritising investments in airport and air navigation infrastructure.
“The challenge is to keep pace with rapidly growing demand, based on global standards which underpin safe and efficient global connectivity.”
In order to maximise growth potential, Tyler highlighted the need for China to expand its air navigation infrastructure to keep pace with burgeoning demand.
“IATA has worked successfully with China to open new entry points and create more flexibility in cooperation with the military. However, the challenge is growing daily as travel demand increase,” he said.
The more flexibility we have in how we share airspace between military, domestic and international flights, the better we will be able to manage growth and meet passenger expectations.”
Tyler added that planning for hub capacity at Beijing Capital International Airport, already the world’s second busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers handled, should also be a top priority.
