On Wednesday, a helicopter will make a flight that marks the opening of temporary China Inspection and Quarantine (CIQ) operations for general and business aviation at Zhuhai Airport. Following a series of meetings led by the Asian Business Aviation Association, China’s civil aviation authority has granted operators a three-month temporary CIQ phase, during which time stakeholders must demonstrate that there is sufficient frequency of traffic to put in place some more expansive, longer-term measures.
The move to open links between transport hubs in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region comes after months of talks relating to lack of availability of slots and parking for private aircraft at Hong Kong International Airport. Currently, demand exceeds supply by an overwhelming margin, and AsBAA expects the squeeze will continue until the third runway is built. “Because Hong Kong is at capacity, there is enormous potential for alternative airports to absorb the existing and growing demand,” said AsBAA.
Both industry experts and economists agree that substantial growth across Greater China is inevitable. This latest move from authorities to support the movement of aircraft between the two hubs could present a viable solution for authorities and industry to tackle some of the issues currently limiting this growth. According to AsBAA, “Demand exists where paying customers are willing to relocate to Zhuhai if and when the authorities recognize the importance of working with the private sector to resolve vast bottlenecks at Tier 1 airports in the PRD and across the country.”
This recognition by China of general aviation stimulates tourism, medical accessibility, new business and leisure travel in Greater China, according to AsBAAA. Association chairman Charlie Mularski said, “AsBAA works with our members and the authorities to find solutions to some of the common issues of our industry. Un-bottling bottlenecks in the region, and specifically in Hong Kong, has been a major focus area this year. We are encouraged to see some positive steps now being taken toward a solution with the introduction of CIQ at Zhuhai. We'd like to thank those who have supported this project and urge that we collectively use this three-month period wisely to demonstrate the need for open skies in the PRD to establish a permanent solution for parking and safe and fast connectivity between Zhuhai and Hong Kong.”