Page 37 - AAA JULY - SEPTEMBER 2019 Online Magazine

[ AIRLINES ]

high rate of growth and given that runway and
terminal projects typically require 5-10 years
from need recognition to implementation,” says
Edward Clayton, who provides strategic advice
to airports, airlines, aviation regulators as well
as economic policy makers throughout Asia-
Pacific.
Capacity Availability of suitable landing and take-off slots

is suddenly becoming scarce, leaving airports
unable to cope with any further growth, and
leaving airlines with nowhere to operate their
newly delivered aircraft. Several mega-hub proj-
Building ects have been announced and are set to come
into service in the next decade. Such projects
include the Al Maktoum International Airport,
Beijing Daxing International Airport, Hong Kong
International Airport’s Three-Runway System,
and Changi’s East extension. After completion,
each of these is planned to have a capacity of
more than 100 million passengers per annum.
SEVERAL MEGA AIRPORT PROJECTS
ANNOUNCED IN ASIA ARE SET TO COME INTO Al Maktoum International
SERVICE IN THE NEXT DECADE Airport
Though Dubai has put on hold the expan-
sion works for its second airport Al Maktoum
Jay Menon International, it will ultimately handle more than
260 million passengers a year, Dubai Airports,
Asia has become the leading region in aviation traffic, currently which operates Dubai International and Al
accounting for 30 per cent of the world’s revenue passenger kilo- Maktoum International Airport, is reviewing its
metres. The rapid growth in the commercial aviation sector in recent long-term masterplan, taking into consideration
decades has positioned the region as the largest and fastest grow- demand for passenger growth and economic
ing in the world. expansion of local as well as regional econo-
mies.
However, the development of Asia’s airport infrastructure has
lagged behind travel growth. Traffic at most major Asian hubs “Dubai Airports is currently reviewing its long-
is already exceeding planned capacity while even secondary term master plan to ensure infrastructure
hubs are starting to experience capacity strains. Since the large development takes full advantage of emerging
surge in Asian airport developments in the 1990s, infrastructure technologies, responds to consumer trends and
has rarely been built ahead of demand, according to a report by preferences and optimises investment to grow
PricewaterhouseCoopers. its already significant contributions to Dubai’s
economy,” a Dubai Airports spokesperson says.
Congestion-related delays are rapidly increasing at most Asian The completion of the first phase of the airport
hubs. Passengers experience increasingly common flight delays, - which was estimated at US$36 billion - had
long queues for take-off, and circling of aircraft in stacks prior to already been pushed back five years to 2030
landing. “This is a cause for concern, owing to Asia’s predicted in October 2018. Al Maktoum is planned to be

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