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Doubts and Facts --- Will Zhuhai Airport be Closed Down?
What's wrong with Zhuhai Airport? Recently some media reports say the advanced, heavily funded airport has been entangled in difficulties -- "default on paying 1.7bn yuan in infrastructure alone", "monthly passengers only to a daily flow of Guangzhou's Baiyun Airport"-- and doubt "can the airport hold on?" Fueled by debt disputes between the airport and Tianjin Waterway Bureau, questions were raised one after another focusing on whether the airport would be closed.
Question 1: How about the current condition of the airport? At 10 am, June 14, reporter came to the waiting room of Zhuhai Airport. A dozen of flights to leave Zhuhai were displayed on the big screen, passengers heading for Haikou and Shanghai ready to board the planes. The building is well maintained, bright and spotlessly clean. The elevator, seemed stay idle, moved slowly as soon as stepped on. Actually, to save electricity the airport used induction device to control elevators.
Despite rumors of "closing down" the airport has by far kept more than 100 flights every week, with freight and mail to a throughput of 800 tons in May.
Question 2: Is it really to be closed down?"Zhuhai Airport is running normally and impossible to close down", says Zhang Zhenyi, general manager of the airport. He explains that according to reliable Hong Kong assessors the airport now values over 11bn yuan, so 1.7bn yuan debt is not too much and within security line. The 1.7bn yuan debt includes bank loans, funds raised, project debt and supportive projects, that is to say, the airport's centrepiece doesn't claim 1.7bn debts. The value of properties sealed off by court has surpassed 32.78m yuan. Even if part of corridors and buildings were sold, regular flights and passenger security can be guaranteed as long as runway, main building and control center operate normally.
A lawyer with the airport says Zhuhai Airport still claims large properties though it failed to pay debts in cash, therefore impossible to be closed.
Question 3: Should the airport be built at all? There are hot discussions on whether the airport should have been built.
An expert says, construction of the airport is absolutely right in view of both regional economy and geographic locations. Without the airport Zhuhai's prosperity would have been put off for many years and you can not write off its strategic role because it has not earned money back. Of course, one may consider whether the airport should have been built so large and advanced.
Zhuhai vice-mayor Zhou Benhui tells the airport is built not only to serve the city itself but also surrounding regions. According to international practice, an airport can be built if there is a population of 3m within a distance of one hour's drive, while Zhuhai has 6m people within the distance. What's more, there was once a plan for a shared airport for Zhuhai and Macao, but was not realized because of state policies.
Question 4: How to pay off the 1.7bn debt?"We owe Tianjin Waterway Bureau more than 70m yuan debts for the airport construction, we are not to deny it and have paid 38m yuan", General Manager Zhang says.
By now the Guangzhou Maritime Court has sealed off 8 corridors, public security building and part of vehicles of the airport, which will come under the hammer to pay debts. If not sold they would be valued and taken directly to pay off debt.
The airport and Tianjin Waterway Bureau are split on methods to pay the debt. The Bureau is unhappy and the airport has been running in red. Things would become bright only when the airport enters into cooperation with overseas investors.
Question 5: Shall Zhuhai government be taken into court? The Tianjin Waterway Bureau has reportedly raised question on the airport's registered capital, holding that the airport registered 3bn yuan but only paid 46.1359m yuan, while the Zhuhai government, as investor should carry joint and several obligations.
While the airport side claims it as sheer nonsense, saying how commercial departments approve setting up of an enterprise that didn't pay registered sum fully?
No final answer has been given from judicial department and further inquiry is needed.
Question 6: How about the prospects of Zhuhai Airport? To build Zhuhai Airport into an international traffic hub had become a topic under Guangdong-Hong Kong cooperation at the Fortune global forum in HK mid May.
Freight port of Zhuhai Airport has been listed into the nation's 10th Five-year Plan and the city is preparing actively for an early opening.
By PD Online Staff Li Heng
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