China Law Blog

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal did a piece on air travel in China, entitled, "China's Congested Skies: Between Military Maneuvers and Outdated Equipment, Travelers Face Agonizing Delays." [subscription may be required].

Amen, brother.   For parts I and II of this series, click here and here. 

According to the article, only 30% of China's airspace is open to passenger planes -- "making China one of global aviation's most restricted countries."  The reason:  China's military controls the skies:

Shanghai's Pudong International Airport shut down for four hours one afternoon in December when China's air force ran a drill. Airports in at least three other big coastal cities that fall under the Nanjing Military Area Command also had to close, forcing the diversion or delay of hundreds of flights, both foreign and domestic.

Adding further frustration for travelers, military affairs are a state secret in China, so there is no way to predict the snap shutdowns. In the Pudong shutdown, for instance, pilots said they assumed the closure had to do with military maneuvers, but passengers weren't told why their plane had landed in an unexpected airport, raising concerns there had been a crash or other calamity. A military-run newspaper noted that the drill had been a success.

By way of example, planes flying from New York to Chicago can fly at any of "about 13 altitudes."  China limits civilian aircraft to flying at seven altitudes.  As traveling by air continues to increase in China, such constraints are taking a bigger and bigger toll on Chinese commercial aviation: 

"I can pretty much always bank on an hour's delay, and I think I'm doing well if it's less than that," says Irishman Joe Healy, a director of engineering at Emerson Climate Technologies in Hong Kong.

For obvious reasons, things are particularly tough in Southern China near Taiwan:

Congested corridors over the Chinese coast facing Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province, are particularly prone to military disruptions, they say -- the reason for last month's airport shutdowns.

When the limited routes into southern China get too crowded, air traffic controllers on the mainland try to slow the inflow of planes by reducing the number of altitudes available to them. Jetliners bound for China or Europe from Southeast Asia and Australia can get backed up and forced into fuel-guzzling holding patterns as a result.

One of the best ways to minimize delays is to fly as early as possible.  Cathay Pacific Airways has a 3:25 a.m. cargo flight from Hong Kong to Beijing that also carries as many as 100 passengers. Despite its "ungodly hour," that flight almost always leaves with most of its seats full.  It also has a good on time record. 

There are some signs the 2008 Olympic Games will lead to a bit of a loosening of air space by the military.  Last year, they agreed to open a new corridor that reduces flight times between China and Europe by up to 20 minutes and authorized "another new route and is considering opening a third, possibly in time for the Olympics."

Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have all installed new air traffic control equipment that is "light years ahead" of what most Western countries use.  China is also expected to soon reduce its approximately 2,000 foot required "cushion" between planes to a more usual 1,000 feet, allowing up to twice as many planes to fly on any given air route.  "China recently hit a record 5.8 million flying hours without accidents."

The article makes the obvious suggestions of avoiding busy air travel times on your flights and traveling with only carry on baggage, so you can quickly switch planes, if necessary.  Here are my additional tips:

• Be patient.  Be prepared.  Assume a two hour delay and pack accordingly. 
• Do not believe a word the Chinese airline employees tell you about when your plane will leave; they are all trained to tell you "in ten minutes," no matter what. 
• Always ask about the rate for business class.  The difference between economy and business class on Chinese domestic flights is usually surprisingly minimal and, after your long wait, hey, you deserve it.
• Never travel within China at the beginning or the end of any major Chinese holiday.

Bon voyage.