Chinese airports pax up 10% in 2011, 21 airports with annual pax exceeding 10 million

CAAC reported (21-Mar-2012) China had a total of 180 airports including 178 with regular scheduled flights at the end of 2011, excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. CAAC stated five cities commenced receiving flights operations (Zigaze, Aershan, Jinchang, Zhangye and Bayannur) while Ankang Airport and Qingyang Airport ceased operations during the year. CAAC also reported the following traffic highlights at Chinese airports in 2011:

• Passenger numbers: 620.5 million, +10.0% year-on-year;
  • Domestic: 571.2 million, +9.9%;
  • Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan: 20.0 million, +13.6%;
  • International: 49.4 million, +10.5%;
• Cargo volume: 11.6 million tonnes, +2.5%;
  • Domestic: 7.5 million tonnes, +3.9%;
  • Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan: 693,000 tonnes, +0.3%;
  • International: 4.1 million tonnes, +0.1%;
• Aircraft movements: 6.0 million, +8.1%;
  • Domestic: 5.5 million, +8.1%;
  • Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan: 154,000, +13.5%;
  • International: 451,000, +8.6%. [more - original PR - Chinese]

According to CAAC, passenger traffic at the four airports located in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou accounted for 32.0% of total airport traffic. The number of airports with annual passenger numbers exceeding 10 million reached 21, five more than in 2010 and accounted for 75.1% of total airport traffic. Airports with more than one million annual passengers reached 53, two more than in 2010 and accounted for 95.2% of total airport traffic.

Also, airports with annual cargo throughput of more than 10,000 tonnes reached 47, accounting for 98.6% of total airport cargo traffic. Cargo traffic at airports in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou accounted for 54.9% of total airport cargo traffic.