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In the space of barely more than a decade, China has transformed from a nation where few had ever experienced air travel to one where millions of its citizens are flying not only across their own vast territory, but to destinations around the world. Even as China is on course to overtake the United States as the world's biggest air travel market within the next three years, the country's hunger for aviation seems set to continue growing exponentially. To sate that hunger, the government has embarked on an airport building program on a scale rarely witnessed before anywhere. Billions upon billions of dollars are being poured into runways and terminals that will plug the entire country directly into the global transport network. China currently has around 235 airports, but with many lacking the capacity to sustain the coming increase in passenger numbers and flights, government officials estimate around 450 airports will be needed across the country by 2035. That's the same year aviation analysts predict China will be handling a quarter of all the world's air passengers. |
