74 new airports to be completed by 2020 making trips to small cities easier
SOCIAL
By Meng Yaping

2017-02-18 22:30 GMT+8

China is aiming to have 74 more civil transport airports by 2020, according to a report released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
The blueprint sets the goals for the development of China's civil aviation industry during the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period, which outlines the government plans for economic and social development over a period of five years.
The report says the country will continue the construction of 30, and build 44 new, civil transport airports between 2016 and 2020, and notes that the number of civil transport airports will reach about 260 by 2020. 
Two air traffic controllers working inside an air traffic control tower. /Chinanews Photo
These projects would make trips to China's third-tier cities much easier, according to the report.
The country's airline on-time arrival rate was 67 percent in 2015, but the report said it aims to increase that figure to 80 percent by 2020.
It is also aiming at a 28 percent increase in air passenger turnover volume by 2020. 
Meanwhile, it is anticipated that the number of air passengers in China will grow to 720 million, the country's total civil aviation turnover would reach 142 billion tons, and cargo and mail turnover will reach 8.5 million tons in 2020, according to the report. 
Workers at the construction site of Beijing’s new airport. /CFP Photo 
As for China's general aviation airports, during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) period, the number has already reached 310, with the hope that number would reach 500 before 2020, according to CAAC. 
It is also hoped there will be over 5,000 general aviation aircraft and 7,000 general aviation pilots by 2020. 
General aviation is defined as "all civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air transport operations for remuneration or hire", according to International Civil Aviation Organization.
(Source: CRI)

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