Beijing Capital International Airport and US Houston Airport System Development Company vowed yesterday to strengthen their co-operation in airport service to enhance economic development in their respective regions.
Hoyt L. Brown, president of the Houston airport system, said his company would share its advanced airport management experiences with Beijing airport.
Established in 1937, the company has established three airports in Houston. In 2000, the three airports carried 44.4 million passengers, making it the sixth busiest in the world.
Brown said his company was impressed by the development potential of Beijing airport.
"With China's strong economy and Beijing's position as host of the 2008 Olympic Games, we are convinced Beijing Capital International Airport will be a great airport in the future," he said.
According to forecasts by the American Federal Administration of Aviation, air transportation across the Pacific Ocean will increase at an annual rate of 6 to 7 percent before 2011. This means big business opportunities to all airports in the region, Brown said.
Houston is located in Texas, which is in the central southern part of the United States on the border with Mexico.
Brown said the company's three airports could help transfer passengers from Asia easily to South American and Caribbean countries.
The air routes could also operate the opposite way with South American passengers transferring to Asian countries through Houston-Beijing routes.
Li Peiying, president of Beijing airport, agreed with Brown's viewpoint, saying co-operation is a win-win deal.
"When a new Boeing 747 passenger plane is put into operation at an airport with a 75 percent loading rate it can contribute US$180 million to the local economy," Li said.
Co-operation between Beijing and Houston airports will help the two cities behind the airports reap a considerable economic return, he said.
Beijing airport is scheduled to expand its runways and waiting halls from two to three in the next five years. In 2008, the airport will be capable of transferring 80 million passengers a year from the current figure of less than 50 million people.
Li said the key factor in their development was management.
"We must learn from our partners how to operate a modern airport efficiently, how to cut operation costs, and how to better serve our passengers," Li said.
Officials with General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), the aviation industry watchdog, also backed the co-operation deal.
( China Daily March 13, 2002)
