Airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong's Dragonair have seen signs of recovery as fears of the SARS outbreak continue to ease; and after the lifting of travel warnings on southern China.

"Traffic at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport has generally picked up in the past few days although with fluctuations," an airport spokesman told China Daily yesterday.

The number of flights was expected to rise to about 200 yesterday from the 160-170 level on Friday, when the travel warning was lifted, he said, referring the move by WHO on Guangdong and Hong Kong.

Daily flights at Baiyun Airport decreased to 110-130 earlier this month, after the impact of SARS became significant late last month, the spokesman said.

The number of passengers at the airport has also improved slightly - up to about 8,000 a day in the past few days, compared with the 7,000-level earlier in the month and a record low of 6,000 on May 8.

Passenger growth was mainly in business travellers, with significant improvements seen on routes to Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, as well as Chengdu in Sichuan Province, the spokesman said.

The number of flights to Beijing went up to nine, and Shanghai to eight yesterday, compared with three to four for both cities.

The increase in flights was faster than the rise in passengers as carriers resume some of their suspended flights to attract passengers, the spokesman said.

The increase at the airport, however, remains minimal, considering the 30,000 to 40,000 passengers and 400 flights a day at normal times and the record of 82,000 passengers and 620 flights a day.

Meanwhile a pick-up in traffic was also seen at Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, an airport spokesman said.

The number of daily flights went up to 201 yesterday and 217 on Monday, compared with a record low of 121 after the SARS outbreak.

Passengers numbered 8,700 on Monday and 9,600 yesterday, up from the 7,000 level earlier.

"The lifting of travel warnings by the WHO is positive news to us and we feel somewhat relieved," the spokesman said.

Hong Kong Dragon Airlines (Dragonair), the city's only carrier flying to mainland destinations, said yesterday it would resume some of its suspended flights next month.

The number of cancelled flights would be reduced to 153 next month from 176 this month, with suspended destinations down to 10 from 11, it said in a statement. The plan for next month, however, represents only 45 per cent of the normal frequency.

Dragonair's weekly flights to Shanghai, for example, would increase to 46 next month from 11 this month and those to Xiamen in Fujian Province to seven from five, with flights resuming to other cities in the region.

"We have seen a significant improvement, the first in weeks," said Laura Crampton, a spokeswoman for Dragonair told Reuters yesterday.

"There are signs that international traffic is returning, too," Crampton said, declining to give any numbers.

To lure back travellers, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong's largest carrier, launched yesterday discounted flights.

A package of three, long-haul round-trip flights will cost HK$14,880 (US$1,908), while three short-haul flights will cost HK$7,880 (US$1,010), a discount of up to 45 per cent off its regular summer fares. Passengers can also combine long- and short-haul flights and travel must be completed by November 30.

SARS has forced Cathay to cut 45 per cent of its flights, with its passenger traffic standing at less than a quarter of normal level.

Despite the recovery signs, the Baiyun Airport spokesman expects traffic at the airport to remain weak this month and next month, saying it would take time for people to regain confidence in air travel.

Although it is hard to give a full-year forecast given the uncertainty about the duration of the impact of SARS, he said the industry is expecting a boom later this year provided SARS is soon brought under control.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong International Airport has not seen a sign of improvement in the number of either flights or passengers, a spokeswoman said yesterday.

Editor: Liao Ming