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Airlines to ramp up schedules during Expo
By Li Xinzhu (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-29 14:45
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SHANGHAI: Both domestic and international airlines will increase the number of flights to Shanghai during the six months of Expo to meet increased demand from local and overseas visitors.
Expo Shanghai is one of the hottest events on the worldwide calendar this year and organizers are expecting more than 70 million tourists from China and around the globe to visit the city from May 1 to Oct 30.
Flights from Mexico to China, which were suspended in 2008 because of the H1N1 breakout, are set to resume at the end of this month with Shanghai as the initial destination.
The route is set up to cater for Expo visitors from Mexico and neighboring Latin American countries.
Royal Brunei Airlines and Vietnam Airlines have also announced new flights to Shanghai, according to Ctrip, a travel service provider in China.
Four weekly flights from Bandar Seri Begawan and four new weekly flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Shanghai began on March 28.
The US' United Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines said the number of daily flights to Shanghai will remain at two.
But they, along with other major international airlines, said they will raise the number of flights if there is greater demand from their home markets.
Chinese airlines are expecting a windfall from Expo.
"We are ready for Expo," said Xia Xinhua, the deputy director of Civil Aviation Administration, at a recent industry meeting in Taipei. "We can increase the number of flights into Shanghai temporarily to meet certain circumstances," he said.
Hong Kong-based airline Dragon Airlines has 16 daily shuttle flights from Hong Kong to Shanghai. A spokesperson at its Shanghai office said the airline was capable of increasing the number flights according to demand.
Xiamen Airlines said that seven daily shuttle flights were scheduled for the Expo period, while Zhuhai Airlines has increased its daily flights to Shanghai from five to eight.
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A new daily flight between Shanghai and Xi'an, and Shanghai and Guiyang will be provided by Juneyao Airlines as of the end of March.
Spring Airlines, a budget flight operator, will soon offer some Shenzhen to Shanghai fares of only 99 yuan ($14.5).
Airlines are ready for Expo, but are the airports?
Travelers stuck at airports in Shanghai will now be compensated for cancellations and flight delays. Free meals and hotel accommodation will be offered to those travelers who experience long waits.
The new Terminal Two at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Puxi, which opened on March 16, is running smoothly. Any initial problems were solved during the trial operation period, sources at the airport said.
