Million Chinese unable to get airline seats

Press, 16 January 1985, Page 19

Million Chinese unable to get airline seats

NZPA-Reuter Peking Civil aviation planners have admitted that China’s air traffic was so congested last year that more than one million people were unable to obtain tickets. They promised a 46.2 per cent increase in domestic flights and a 30 per cent boost in international flights in 1985. The official Xinhua News Agency quoted them as saying Chinese airlines would carry 6.5 million people in 1985, 18 per cent more than in 1984. The State-run China Civil Aviation Administration said about 1.2 million people could not get air tickets during the year. It said that with the introduction of more flights and new routes, priority would be given to serving 14 coastal cities noted by the Government as centres for foreign investment and industrial growth. Internationally, flights to Japan would be increased, the planners said. China has announced it will split up its inefficient airline monopoly, paving the way for the development of separate competing airlines.

China’s national carrier, C.A.A.C., said recently it ' will open discussions this . year on future co-operation with the Hong Kong-based airline, Cathay Pacific. International aerospace companies believe the split of C.A.A.C. in the first half of 1985 into three units could produce a spate of orders for new aircraft. At an aerospace exhibition in Peking in December officials of Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, British Aerospace and the European Airbus consortium all said they were hoping for a slice of the market worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Not much has been sold so far, although China wants at least three airbus jets, according to industry sources. The firms see China expanding its passenger carrying capacity as it ' continues to open to the outside world. Under changes announced in November by the director Shen Tu, C.A.A.C.’s monopoly will be shared between a new company, Air China, .... flying the flag on inter- . national routes, and at least two regional domestic airlines.