World air route development forum opens in Guangzhou

Aircraft models on display at the 24th World Route Development Forum in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Sept 16, 2018. [Photo/IC]

China will remain as one of the world's fastest growing aviation markets supported by continuous expansion of consumption demands and aviation facilities, according to an industry conference in Guangzhou on Sunday.

China will have more than 130 new airports by 2025, which will bring the total number of airports to 370, said Wang Zhiqing, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, at the 24th World Route Development Forum.

Last year, China launched 382 new international air routes, with the total international air route number increasing to 1,634, twice that of 2015, Wang said, also citing 550 million trips by plane last year in China, which accounted for 16.3 percent of the global total.

Representatives of more than 300 airlines, 700 airport management bodies, and 130 government departments and tourism authorities from more than 110 countries and regions are attending the forum.

"We hope to develop the market in China as trade, investment, and tourism between China and African countries are soaring," said Tewolde GebreMariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines.

Airline passenger volume between China and African countries will continue to increase by 20 percent every year, he said, adding that the company is planning to launch new routes to Shenzhen, and add more flights to Guangzhou and other cities in China.

Cambodia's JC International Airlines also plans to launch direct air routes to connect Cambodia with five more Chinese cities by the end of this year as air travel demand increases. Early this week the company launched a new direct flight linking Guangzhou with Cambodia's coastal city of Sihanoukville.