Jinan Times APP:

As civil aviation passengers, we are very concerned about flight punctuality. Could you please share what specific measures the civil aviation industry has taken to improve operational efficiency and ensure flight punctuality? Thank you.

Song Zhiyong:

Thank you for your question. Flight punctuality is a topic of great concern to passengers and a task we attach great importance to. Flight punctuality affects passengers' travel experience and reflects the overall efficiency and smoothness of civil aviation transportation organizations. It is an important indicator of high-quality development in civil aviation. The key to improving flight punctuality lies in enhancing the operational efficiency of civil aviation. In recent years, we have taken multiple measures and comprehensive policies to improve operational efficiency, including the following:

First, we have optimized airspace structures and increased airspace capacity. With the continuous release of dividends from national air traffic management reforms, the supply of airspace resources has continued to improve. By establishing major air corridors and optimizing airspace structures, we have increased flight handling capacity in high-traffic airspace, effectively alleviating the pressure caused by rapid flight growth. For example, in 2022, the Beijing-Guangzhou air corridor was opened. This major north-south air traffic artery, connecting China's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, was expanded from a single pair of routes (one for each direction) to a dual pair of routes (two for each direction), increasing airspace capacity by nearly 40%. There are plans to open 10 such air corridors, with seven already completed and operational. The eighth, the Shanghai-Kunming air corridor, will be opened in September this year, providing airspace support for efficient flight operations. This corridor primarily aims to ease the air traffic jam along the east-west route linking Shanghai and Kunming.

Second, we have improved operational standards and enhanced the level of coordinated transportation. Airlines, airports, and the air traffic management authority are the three main entities in civil aviation operations. We have formulated targeted policies and measures on flight organization of airlines, ground support at airports, air traffic flow management, and evaluation methods for airport gate docking rates. To optimize operational standards, we raised specific requirements for reducing the minimum interval between aircraft operations, shortening ground taxing time, reducing runway occupancy time, and increasing the rate of aircraft docking near terminals. This year, we also issued measures on civil aviation collaborative operation management, establishing a three-tier collaborative system for civil aviation operations at national, regional and airport levels that integrates negotiated decision-making, joint implementation, and dynamic management, to continuously improve the efficiency of matching route capacity with flight traffic.

Third, we have promoted the application of new technologies to enhance operational efficiency. Civil aviation is a field where large numbers of new technologies emerge. In recent years, we have optimized and improved our operational methods by embracing new technologies. This has allowed us to continuously enhance safety and operational efficiency. For example, widely used Category II and III instrument landing systems, performance-based navigation, and in-flight head-up display s can enable aircraft to safely take off and land in low visibility conditions, significantly reducing weather-related disruptions. In the next step, during the construction of smart civil aviation, we will further enhance operational efficiency by promoting new technologies and models such as proximity landing and takeoff, the Point Merge System, and trajectory based operations.

Through these efforts, civil aviation has maintained a flight punctuality rate of above 80% for six consecutive years. In the first half of this year, despite a 13.4% year-on-year increase in flight volume, the flight punctuality rate reached 86.37%. We're currently in the thunderstorm season, which is the most stressful and challenging period of the year for ensuring reliable flight operations. Nevertheless, we have made preparations to maintain safe operations while minimizing weather-related disruptions. Our goal is to ensure smooth travel for all passengers. We also hope that everyone can provide more understanding and support for our work in civil aviation. Thank you.