70 new airports in China by 2015

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is considering an ambitions plan to add 70 new airports in the country by 2015, taking the total number of airports to 230. With the number of air passengers in the country estimated to reach 450 million by 2015, the plan also includes expansion of 100 existing airports and renovation of all the airports. CAAC data indicate that major airports are operating at full capacity and that the civil aviation industry lacks quality infrastructure. The current five year economic plan for China provides for the purchase of 300 new aircraft every year between 2011 and 2015 by the country’s air carriers. The number of passenger planes is expected to touch 2,700 by the end of 2015 and the number of air passengers 700 million by 2020.