China to build 97 regional airports
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China plans to build 97 regional airports by 2020 to meet soaring domestic passenger and cargo demand.
The Financial Times reported that the cabinet had approved the plan with the first 45 to be ready by the end of 2010.
China’s domestic passenger traffic is expected to grow at an annual rate of 11.4%, the report said. But it also quoted analysts saying that congestion will persist even with the addition of new airports, because of shortages in skilled personnel.
Elizabeth Bosher, Asia-Pacific managing director at Landrum & Brown, was quoted saying: “You can build the airports and buy the planes but you still need the people to maintain and repair them. There is so much expansion going on across the country that training will be top priority for at least the next 10 years.”
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