THE government plans to open 48 new airports over the next five years as it sharply boosts investment in air travel amid surging passenger traffic, the China Daily reported yesterday (May 9).

With passenger numbers forecast to grow by 14 percent annually, the country plans to spend 140 billion (US$17.5 billion) on airports by 2010, more than it spent in the previous 15 years, the newspaper said.

It will increase the number of airports from 142 to 190 by 2010, and then to 220 by 2020, the report said, citing Zhao Hongyuan, an official of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The fleet strength of commercial aircraft will grow to 1,580 by 2010, nearly double the current 863, before reaching about 4,000 in 2020.

The first step is to strengthen Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou airports as key international hubs. The CAAC also wants Chengdu, Kunming, Xi'an, Wuhan and Shenyang to become regional hubs.

Southwest China's Yunnan Province plans to invest more than 20 billion yuan in airport projects in the next five years, accounting for nearly one-seventh of the country's total, Xinhua News Agency reported.

By 2010, the province will have 15 airports, up from 10 now, forming a comprehensive network linking all parts of Yunnan with the outside world, specially southeastern and southern Asia.

"All the projects, national or local, will offer investment opportunities for investors at home and abroad," said Zhao.

China opened the aviation infrastructure sector to foreign and domestic investment in 2002.

Editor: Wing