Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei airports to coordinate operation

BEIJING - Three of China's high-volume airports are discussing ways to coordinate in order to cut down on delayed flights.

Part of a regional development program, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province airport officials met recently to discuss the program.

"A coordinated plan for airports in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei will be launched as soon as the time is right," Zhou Laizhen, deputy head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said in a statement on the administration's website Wednesday.

He did not specify details on the program but said airports in Beijing should focus on how to neutralize the "siphon effect" caused by over-crowding, while airports in Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, capital city of Hebei, should work on helping divert passenger flow from Beijing.

There are already a partial foundation in Beijing and Tianjin. Authorities in Tianjin and Hebei should make "feasible plans" for the program, Zhou said.

The coordination is part of an overall regional program aiming for integrated, coordinated development in terms of industrial distribution, urban layout, transportation and other areas.