(Yicai Global) May 29 -- The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the aviation sector hard, but China's major western cities of Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an and Kunming are stepping up their construction of aviation hubs. Their proximity and the steady integration of civil aviation and high-speed rail means the competition between them is heating up.

The current gap between China's aviation industry and that of developed countries is still rather large. One billion people in China have never taken an airplane, Hao Yuanxiao, a professor of economics at Xi'an Jiaotong University, told Yicai Global. The demand for air transport is still very large, however, Hao said, adding that the frequency of population movement will be higher in future. Therefore, the passenger flow of these airports will also greatly rise.

Construction of Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu in southwest China will finish this year and it will go into operation next year. The fourth runway of Jiangbei International Airport in Chongqing, which is in the same region, broke ground this year. The city is also advancing the preliminary work on its second international airport in an effort to bring it in China’s 14th Five Year Plan between 2021 and 2025.

The third-phase project of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in northwestern China was approved at the beginning of the year. The project is designed for passenger throughput of 83 million and 1 million tons of cargo and mail by 2030.

New Runways

The Southwest Chinese city of Kunming plans to lay out CNY1.28 billion (USD179 million) to expand and renovate Kunming Changshui Airport and build three new runways and a new terminal, the city announced last month.

Air cargo shipment will play an important role in speeding the development of aviation and promoting regional economic development in the summer after the Covid-19 pandemic, Hao said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has freighted aviation growth with uncertainty. Xi'an and Chengdu’s plans also mentioned these issues.

These hub airports should be developed in a misaligned manner to prevent vicious competition and form a multi-polar pattern in the western region. They will breathe new life into the opening-up of West China after a decade or two of development, Hao noted.

The passenger throughput over last year of Chengdu, Kunming, Xi'an and Chongqing was 55.86 million, 48.08 million, 47.22 million and 44.79 million, respectively, ranking fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth in China, statistics show.

Editor: Ben Armour