Civil aviation authorities
are close to finalizing an air traffic control plan to handle the expected surge
of tourist arrivals during the Beijing Olympic Games and deal with any
contingencies.
The
color-coded plan - green, blue, yellow, orange and red - reflects various air
traffic scenarios.
Daily air traffic in and out of Beijing during the
Games is expected to surpass that of some of the busiest airports in the world
including London's Heathrow and Paris' Charles De Gaulle.
Beijing
Capital International Airport will be "challenged" by the highest ever number of
flights, Zhang Yuehua, who is in charge of drafting the scheme, told China
Daily.
"An average of 1,150 flights take off and land at the airport
every day now. But during the Games, the number will be between 1,700 and
2,000," said Zhang, deputy director of the operation management center of the
air traffic management bureau affiliated to the General Administration of Civil
Aviation (CAAC).
The air traffic peak will be three days before the
Games' opening ceremony and three days after the closing ceremony, with an
average of 1,900 flights per day, he forecast.
With the third runway
expected to be ready next March, Zhang said the capital airport will have "no
problem" handling 1,500 flights per day under the green scheme.
"When
the daily movement reaches 1,700 or the capital airport encounters thunderstorms
that last less than an hour, we will launch the blue scheme, under which
additional air routes will be opened."
If the traffic continues to
increase and hit 1,900, or a co-host city has bad weather, the yellow scheme
will be activated.
"Flights that are not related to the Olympic Games
will be suspended, and we will consult with the military to open direct air
routes," he said.
The orange scheme is for situations when the airport
encounters bad weather for several hours.
The air traffic control
department will then ask flights to land in neighboring airports, including
Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Hohhot and Dalian, he said.
The red is
for unlikely events such as when planes are hijacked or a terrorism incident.
Besides, the bureau will allot special slots for planes carrying
athletes, officials and Olympic partners every hour; and extend the operating
hours of the airport.
(China Daily 07/12/2007 page 1)
Vocabulary:
contingency：偶发（或不测、意外）事件
（英语点津 Linda 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from
Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong
and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation, producing current affairs shows and
documentaries.
