OLYMPICS /
Olympic Nation
Beijing airport passes litmus test
By Xin Dingding
China Daily Staff Writer
Updated: 2008-08-08 07:40
US President George W. Bush (L), first lady Laura Bush (2nd R) and daughter Barbara (R) are greeted by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (2nd L) at Beijing Capital International Airport August 7, 2008. [Agencies] |
Beijing airport was tested to its full Thursday, the eve of Olympic Games, and came out with flying colors.
The number of flights it handled was phenomenal: 1,300. But perhaps its greater test was handling more than 300 Olympic-related flights, which carried VIP guests, including heads of state.
Today will be another testing day, for more than 100 Games-related flights are scheduled to land at the airport.
Altogether, the airport is expected to receive 80 state leaders, and handle 160 chartered and 1,000 business flights during the Games.
Airport authorities Thursday said they had never received so many VIP aircraft and business jets in a single day. "Before this during the 2006 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation about 30 special flights and business jets landed in one day," said Chen Jingyun, general manager of Capital Airports Holding Company's VIP department.
But Thursday the airport received about 120 business jets and 19 special aircraft. It is a big challenge for airport workers just to recognize the different types of business jets, another company official said. "Many of the business jets have never been handled by us," said Liu Yue, a manager of the company's Beijing Aviation Ground Services.
To prevent any untoward incident and provide satisfactory service, the airport has drafted a 200-page service plan for the Games. That has enabled VIPs to leave the airport within 10 minutes of getting off a plane.