Beijing (AsiaNews) - In an attempt to reduce endemic delays, the Chinese government has ordered 8 of the major national airports to insist commercial aircraft take off "even if they have not secured a landing slot." The move, imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority, could produce a huge mess in China's air traffic: for experts and national leaders the decision is "dangerous and ridiculous".
The measure is effective from today at the airports of Beijing, Shanghai (Pudong and Hongqiao that), Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xi'an and Kunming: these structures account for about half of the total air traffic in the country. According to the Beijing News the decision has "improved" the performance of take-offs by 15-20%, up to now the worst in the world.
Yang Xinsheng, dean of the College of Air Traffic Management at the Civil Aviation University of China, said it was "ridiculous" and added: "Waiting on the ground is always safer than waiting in the air. If planes were allowed to take off without securing a landing slot at the destination first, they could end up circling in the air for hours. Airlines will also have to pay much more for fuel. The extra flying hours could also add to the stress and pressure on air crews. I don't think passengers would want this either. Taking off on time may reduce anger, but circling around the airport could induce panic. "
The central government has released data on the mismanagement of departures. According to Beijing, 42.3% of delays are caused by problems in the airlines management; 26.1% by air traffic control; 20.9% by weather conditions and 7% by the military exercises, which sometimes invade civilian air lanes.
