Published on : Saturday, August 2, 2014
Asian nations are rushing to construct hundreds of new airports to deal with increasing demand for air travel in the region. Airlines have responded by setting up several new budget carriers and flying new routes – but many airports are not capable to cope, forcing governments to either expand or simply build new airports.
From China and India to the Philippines and Indonesia, the fast-growing middle classes are looking to expend their cash by spreading their wings, leading to a boom in the Asia-Pacific region’s tourism sector.
Chris De Lavigne, a global vice president at business consultancy Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific, said, ”Through the next 10 years, we see more than 350 new airports in the Asia-Pacific and the investment cost will be well over $100 billion.China is building over 100 airports, India is building over 60 airports and Indonesia will also have to follow suit with investments in its infrastructure.”
De Lavigne closely tracks Asia’s aviation industry. He also said upgrades of existing airports could cost an additional $25 billion.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals in Asia-Pacific grew an annual 6.0 percent to 248 million last year, the strongest of any region worldwide.
To deal with this, construction is being ramped up.
The Canada-based Airports Council International (ACI) said in a report that Indonesia plans to construct 62 new airports in the next five years, in addition to its existing 237.
And by 2020, Kuala Lumpur aims to double capacity to 100 million a year, while Hong Kong wants to handle 97 million annually by 2030, up from 60 million in 2013.
In Beijing a second, $11-billion airport is being built to open in 2018 and handle 40 million passengers, Sydney-based consultancy Centre for Aviation said.
There are also strategies for a full replacement of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which is one of Asia’s most notorious for overcrowding and backward facilities.
Regarded by many as one of the world’s best – Singapore’s Changi –is also expanding, with a $1.0-billion Terminal 4 opening in 2017 that will raise capacity to 82 million passengers from the current 54 million. Plans are already being made for a Terminal 5.
An analyst with Malaysia-based Endau Analytics, Shukor Yusof, said airport infrastructure in many countries has lagged well behind travel growth.
The target is not just on capitals. The need for more space means much of the new construction is taking place in secondary cities, with some facilities potentially becoming hubs.
Even less developed tourist destinations are pressing ahead with building. Myanmar is also looking to upgrade 39 airports as tourist and domestic air passenger figures are seen surging to 30 million in 2030 from 4.2 million in 2013.
Tags: Asian, New Airports
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