Posts tagged ‘Beijing Capital International Airport’

  |  
24/06/2016

Are fears of mass unemployment in China overblown? | Reuters

Despite its sputtering economy – or perhaps because of it – China’s labor market may be able to provide more jobs for laid off workers than many think.

The working age population is shrinking by several million each year and the number of workers willing to migrate beyond their home province is falling, leaving jobs available for those willing to travel.

This suggests concerns about mass unemployment as China cuts down its industrial capacity and the risk that this could lead to social unrest may be overdone.

Take Li Xi, 34, for instance.After losing his job of 15 years at Highsee Iron and Steel in the slow-growing northern province of Shanxi, Li was not out of work for long.

Encouraged by friends to join them at an electronics factory 1,000 km (620 miles) to the south, he made the journey to Suzhou near Shanghai. The rest was easy.”On the first day I did a health check, and on the second day I was working,” Li said.

China’s economic growth slowed to a 25-year-low in 2015 of less than 7 percent and Beijing has flagged layoffs as it reduces massive surplus industrial capacity and gears the economy more to services and consumption.

Sources said in March that China was expecting to lay off 5-6 million state workers in the next two to three years as it curbs production capacity and pollution in rust-belt provinces.

While there is scant official data to build an accurate picture of Chinese unemployment, Chang Chun Hua, China economist at Nomura, said the jobs market can handle the unemployment pressures for now.

The working age population has been shrinking since 2012. Last year, the number of people between the ages of 16 and 59 shrank by 4.87 million, government statistics show. In 2014, the age group contracted by 3.71 million.

At the same time, the government says a higher-than-expected 5.77 million jobs were created between January and May this year.

“In general, the current unemployment pressure is still manageable for the Chinese government,” Hua said.

Source: Are fears of mass unemployment in China overblown? | Reuters

Posted in China alert, Economics, Labour, unemployment | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
13/12/2013

China Says Pilot Should Be Able to Land in Low Visibility, Battling High Traffic and Pollution – China Real Time Report – WSJ

If you want to fly in China, you need to be able to land in the smog.

China’s civil aviation regulator has set new rules mandating senior airline pilots operating on major routes into Beijing’s airport be certified to land aircraft under very low visibility, a move to help ease the nation’s worsening air traffic bottlenecks amid often heavy pollution.

China’s major airlines say they have been giving pilots additional training to comply with the new rules, which take effect Jan. 1, according to the carriers and state media.

The decision comes amid worsening pollution across China cities that at times is affecting commercial airline traffic. Last week, thick smog enveloped Shanghai and parts of eastern China,  cutting visibility in the city of Nanjing to less than 50 meters and resulting in many flight delays and cancellations.

Thick smog impacting visibility has also caused cancellations and delays at Beijing Capital International Airport, the nation’s busiest and worst in terms of on-time performance, with only 45% of flights departing on time in November, according to travel industry monitor FlightStats.

Depending on weather conditions and runway infrastructure, modern jetliners have sophisticated instruments to help them land in little or no visibility, such as foggy conditions. Pilots, though, need additional certification to perform such approaches, which usually don’t compromise safety. Airlines have varying rules on minimum visibility levels acceptable for landing, though low-visibility landings are frequently done by major airlines in the West.

The special certification for pilots to make low-visibility landings, a common international requirement, applies to situations where visibility drops to 350 meters or less.

via China Says Pilot Should Be Able to Land in Low Visibility, Battling High Traffic and Pollution – China Real Time Report – WSJ.

Posted in China alert, Ecology, Economics, Environment, greenhouse gas, Pollution, Weather forecast | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
22/07/2013

Knife attacks and bomb threats follow Beijing airport explosion

SCMP: “Several incidents of violence have been reported in Beijing in the aftermath of the attempted suicide by an aggrieved petitioner at the capital’s international airport on Saturday.

screen_shot_2013-07-22_at_2.22.12_pm.png

On Monday, a man armed with a knife went on a rampage at a Carrefour shopping centre, in Beijing’s western district, wounding at least four people. Police have arrested a Beijing-native surnamed Wang, born in 1963 at the scene, local police said in a statement.

One child was among those wounded, Beijing News reported on its microblog. The report did not say what triggered the attack.

Last Thursday, a knife-yielding man stabbed two people, including one US woman, to death, in a similar incident.

In two unrelated incidents, Beijing police arrested two men for “threatening to carry bombs and attempting to disturb social order” in the capital.

Four hours after petitioner Ji Zhongxing caused an explosion at Beijing Capital International Airport on Saturday, a 39-year-old man surnamed Wang from Beijing’s Miyun county threatened to set off explosives at a Beijing airport to protest against land seizures, according to a statement by Beijing police.

Only one hour later, a 31-year-old man surnamed Liu from Jiangsu province, threatened to detonate explosives at a video arcade, police said. Both men have since been arrested.

Many Chinese netizens blamed a “butterfly effect” and criticised the government for failing to address petitioners’ grievances. “If the government continues in its corrupt ways, everybody will become Ji Zhongxing,” said one Weibo user. “Using lives to protest is the last way for ordinary people to seek changes,” wrote another.

via Knife attacks and bomb threats follow Beijing airport explosion | South China Morning Post.

Related articles

Posted in China alert, Petition, Politics, public protest, social media | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , ,
09/05/2013

* China’s Airport Building Boom

BusinessWeek: “The first rule of airline travel in China is: Don’t cut connections close. Assume your first flight will be late, and leave plenty of time than to scramble to your next gate. Fortunately, if you’re flying between major Chinese cities, you can bide your time in a gleaming new airport with plenty of shops selling tea, lattes, snacks, souvenirs, and even prestige apparel. (Only in Chinese airports have I seen stores selling “BMW Lifestyle” clothing).

Beijing Capital Airport

In China, travel is booming, giving rise to new airports and hotels to accommodate the inbound masses. The International Air Transport Association forecasts that by 2016, China will have 415 million fliers annually, second only to the U.S. in volume of domestic passengers. Volume at the Beijing Capital Airport has tripled in the last 10 years; the city’s second major airport will open by 2018. In all, the current Five Year Plan calls for 55 new civil airports by 2015, bringing China’s total to 230.

The build-out is good news for the obvious suspects, including travelers, hotels, and retailers that profit from travel. In a recent report, the Virginia-based Global Business Travel Association estimated that spending related to business travel in China will increase 14.7 percent in 2013, to $224 billion. (GBTA estimates comparable spending in the U.S. in 2013 will be $268.5 billion.)

For many of the Chinese cities caught up in the airport-construction boom, it’s been a mixed blessing. In 2011, China’s Civil Aviation Administration recorded that 75 percent of its civil airports were operating at a loss, according to the China Daily. High levels of debt assumed by local governments to finance airports and other large infrastructure projects are a growing worry for China. Last month Fitch downgraded China’s credit rating, expressing concerns especially about local debt. In its assessment, the credit rating agency noted: “Fitch believes total credit in the economy including various forms of ‘shadow banking‘ activity may have reached 198 percent of GDP at end-2012, up from 125 percent at end-2008.”

One component of the mismatch is that Chinese airline carriers have focused on connecting major hubs, with far fewer flights to secondary destinations. As a result, while small regional airports are often eerily quiet, industry analysts believe Beijing’s Capital Airport is on track to overtake Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as the world’s busiest.”

via China’s Airport Building Boom – Businessweek.

Related articles

Posted in Affluence, China alert, Construction, Economics, fashion, luxury brand, Transport | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
11/04/2013

* New Beijing airport targets 2018 opening

While London continues to debate expanding Heathrow or building a new airport, Beijing takes action. Sometimes politicians in the West use ‘democracy’ as an excuse for slow progress. But often it is due to simple lack of will and decisiveness.

China Daily: “Construction of a new airport in south Beijing will start next year, and the facility is expected to be completed and put into use in 2018, local authorities announced on Wednesday.

Beijing Capital International Airport (北京首都国际机场)

Beijing Capital International Airport (北京首都国际机场) (Photo credit: dbaron)

Preliminary work prior to the construction of the airport, located in Daxing district, bordering Hebei province, is under way, sources with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform said.

They added that the airport will be linked with three expressways, including one that will be newly built along the southern central axis of Beijing.

Under-way discussions over an urban rail transit to connect the airport are likely to be finished within the year.

The new airport project was approved at the end of 2012, as part of efforts to spur the development of Beijing’s southern suburbs.

Meanwhile, an air transport-related economic zone is also planned, with an investment of 84 billion yuan ($13.39 billion).

Upon completion, the new airport is expected to ease traffic pressure on Beijing Capital International Airport, which remained the world’s second-busiest airport in 2012 in terms of passenger throughput. Its passenger volume reach 81.8 million last year, according to a statement published by the airport in January.

via New Beijing airport targets 2018 opening |Society |chinadaily.com.cn.

Related articles

Posted in China alert, Construction, Economics, Transport | 2 Comments »

Tags: , , , , ,
  |  
CCChang

Law of Unintended Consequences

continuously updated blog about China & India

ChiaHou's Book Reviews

continuously updated blog about China & India

What's wrong with the world; and its economy

continuously updated blog about China & India