A RESEARCH report by China Development Institute (CDI) suggested the establishment of a bureau governing and coordinating airport operations to avoid under-use and waste of aviation resources in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The research report on establishing a world-class multi-terminal aviation system in the Bay area made by Zhou Shunbo, executive director of CDI’s New Economy Institute, said the passenger and cargo turnover in the Bay area reached 185 million and 7.36 million tons in 2016, surpassing the bay areas of New York, London and Tokyo. Yet the resources of the five airports in the Bay area should be integrated, so that cooperation and labor division can be enhanced to form a scientific and reasonable air transportation network.

Zhou suggested that aviation administrations, local governments and airports set up a Greater Bay Area Aviation Administration and initiate rail projects linking Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong to promote Bay area competitiveness.

Despite high turnover, the per capita air service use in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area is one-fourth of that of the New York Bay Area and one-fifth of that of the London Bay Area. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area needs more international routes to world cities.

“At the government level, the Bay area lacks a coordination and supervision mechanism and relies heavily on the growth of individual airports. Despite the fact that the five airports in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao have established periodic coordination and information-sharing mechanisms, they still have conflicts of interest, market positioning, labor division, property ownership and operation standards,” said Zhou in the report. The lack of cooperation mechanisms in infrastructure, aviation networks, flight rights arrangements, customs clearances and fund support could weaken the competitiveness of the Bay area.

Zhou cited the rail link project between Shenzhen and Hong Kong airports as an example. The plan was put forward in 2008 and was later shelved because of high construction costs and differing interests.

(Han Ximin)