Asian airports may not cope with air traffic<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): International aviation experts warned
\nyesterday that already congested airports in Asia may not be able
\nto cope with increasing air traffic, which is forecast to more
\nthan triple by 2010.<\/p>\n
\"(The region) will need massive infrastructure improvements if
\nit is to cope with the nearly 400 million passengers expected by
\n2010,\" said John Meredith, executive director of the Air
\nTransport Action Group (ATAG).<\/p>\n
ATAG is a working committee within the Geneva-based
\nInternational Air Transport Association (IATA).<\/p>\n
Many Asian airports were already bursting at their seams last
\nyear when about 122 million passengers passed through them,
\nMeredith told participants at the start of a two-day IATA
\nconference on Asian infrastructure here.<\/p>\n
\"By the end of 1995, nearly half of all international airports
\nin the region will be capacity constrained, unable to cope with
\ndemand at major periods of the day,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The Asia Pacific's share of world-wide scheduled passenger
\ntraffic will have jumped from just 26.6 percent in 1985 to over
\n50 percent in 2010, according to IATA calculations.<\/p>\n
And despite efforts to expand current facilities and to build
\nnew airports, the long gestation period for these projects was
\npushing Asia towards a chronic shortage in air transport
\ninfrastructure.<\/p>\n
\"Substantial as the planned investment is compared with other
\nregions of the world, there is a grave danger that it will not be
\nsufficient,\" Meredith said.<\/p>\n
IATA estimates that about US$200 billion will be needed to
\nfinance airport facilities in the region up to 2010.<\/p>\n
Major airport projects are already underway across Asia, with
\nplans for 20 new international airports in China alone.<\/p>\n
Airport facilities are also being built or have been completed
\nin Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok, Japan's Kansai, Kuala Lumpur's
\nSepang, Singapore's Changi and India's Bombay, Bangalore and New
\nDelhi.<\/p>\n
Officials blamed high capital costs, partly caused by
\nspiraling land costs in places like Hong Kong, as well as
\nenvironmental concerns for the shortage in airport infrastructure
\ninvestment.<\/p>\n
But experts have pointed out that economic spin-offs from the
\nairports are expected to be substantial.<\/p>\n
Aside from rising passenger traffic, air cargo is expected to
\nalmost triple by 2010 and the economic benefits of such growth
\ncould reach $850 billion and create 15 million jobs by that year.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok alone should create 12,700 new off-
\nairport jobs when it opens and the figure is expected to grow to
\n37,600 jobs by 2010, according to IATA projections.<\/p>\n
Environmental worries from those living near airports have
\nalso stalled airport expansion programs, experts said.<\/p>\n
Meredith urged Asian countries to set up regional frameworks
\nto coordinate infrastructure investment with more emphasis on new
\ntechnology and private financing.<\/p>\n
\"Going it alone is no longer feasible in a multinational
\nenvironment,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asian-airports-may-not-cope-with-air-traffic-1447893297",
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