Hong Kong Airlines changes schedules to help beat punctuality problem, as industry says military must give up airspace for civil flights
PHILA SIUphila.siu@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 03 September, 2015, 12:01am
UPDATED : Thursday, 03 September, 2015, 12:01am
Travellers huddle inside a terminal at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Sam Tsang
A Hong Kong carrier is exploring ways to tackle flight delays caused by the mainland's air traffic control, but airline management admit the problem will not be solved unless the military releases more airspace for civil aviation.
Captain Jeff Sun Jianfeng, Hong Kong Airlines' executive vice-president, said delay problems in some mainland cities such as Beijing had become so serious that the airline had factored in expected delay times to its flight schedules.
As an example, Sun said, "It is supposed to take just three hours to fly to Beijing, but we are adding some time to the schedule."
"We are adding less time to our morning flights because the air traffic situation is better during that time," he added. "But we are adding more time to our afternoon flights. It can be about 30 minutes."
Despite allowing for extra time in its official schedules, the airline's efforts were "not working well because the delays are just too long", Sun said.
Air traffic restrictions are frequent on the mainland, where only 20 per cent of airspace is available for civil aviation. The rest is tightly controlled by the military.
Problems arising from the mainland's air traffic control manifest in two ways, according to Dr Law Cheung-kwok of Chinese University's Aviation Policy and Research Centre.
First, the mainland's airspace had become congested because the military released limited airspace, he said.
The congestion multiplies as airlines arrange more flights to leading cities like Beijing and Shanghai which are solidifying their standing as international financial centres.
In addition, Law said, mainland authorities sometimes imposed strict air traffic restrictions and rarely explained why.
"The restrictions are imposed by the military," he said. "The reasons for the restrictions are state secrets."
In July last year, mainland media reported that 12 airports, including two in Shanghai, would be subject to air traffic control restrictions for 26 days. That development required airlines to cut the number of flights to the airports by 25 per cent.
Sun said his airline had spoken to aviation authorities about delays brought on by air traffic control.
Captain Mark Wilson, the airline's general manager for training, added: "Unless the Chinese military releases more airspace, there will still be delays."
According to a report by the Civil Aviation Administration published in May, flight punctuality on the mainland declined for the fourth consecutive year to just over 68 per cent last year - the lowest rate since such data was made publicly available in 2006.
Due to a parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war in the capital on Thursday, no commercial traffic will be permitted at Beijing Capital International Airport or the city's smaller Nanyuan Airport between 9.30am and 12.30pm.
According to Veryzhun, a popular smartphone app that tracks real-time flight information, 94 inbound and outbound domestic flights for Beijing Capital International Airport were delayed and 242 cancelled as of Wednesday night.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1854866/hong-kong-airlines-official-says-china-air-delays-are-be
