A route witnesses new prospects for recovery, from near to far in the night sky | Zhengzhou | Night Sky
Poster production: Fang Jinyang
Tianjin, June 8th (Xinhua) - Taxi and takeoff! Accompanied by the roar of the engine, planes flew into the sky from near to far. The tower, terminal, and runway are bustling with activity, with controllers, ground crew, and crew each performing their respective duties
As the sun sets, the reporter arrives at Tianjin Binhai International Airport, an important aviation hub in northern China, to experience the busy atmosphere inside the airport.
Bohai 7939, ground wind of 130,5 meters, runway 16R, ready for takeoff. Under the command of the tower controller, a Tianjin Airlines A330 passenger plane took off smoothly, and the flight will transfer from Zhengzhou to Sydney, Australia.
Before each takeoff, Captain Ma Xiaoxuan is accustomed to observing passengers through the cockpit window. "Previously, most of the overseas tourists were mainly business and migrant workers. Since the beginning of this year, there has been a significant increase in tourist groups, and the number of foreign tourists visiting China has also increased significantly," said Ma Xiaoxuan.
Ma Xiaoxuan told reporters that in order to prepare for the peak travel season in July and August, he is intensifying his flight technology training and completing the pilot's annual medical examination in advance to ensure that passengers travel in the best physical and technical condition.
With the normalization of personnel exchanges both domestically and internationally, the air transportation industry is showing a steady recovery trend. In April of this year, China's aviation transportation market completed a total transportation turnover of 9.31 billion tons per kilometer, a month on month increase of 7.3% and a year-on-year increase of 214.5%.
As night falls, the lights of Tianjin Binhai International Airport light up, and the nearly 100 meter high tower of the Civil Aviation Tianjin Air Traffic Control Bureau stands quietly on the north side of the airport terminal. In the control room at the top of the tower, through a 360 degree panoramic glass window, one can overlook the entire airport, with planes operating in an orderly manner under the command of the controller.
Zhang Nan, the supervisor of the tower, said that the number of flights has gradually increased in recent times, with a peak arrival time after 7 pm every night. On average, one plane takes off and lands every 2 minutes, with over 400 flights taking off and landing throughout the day. Many new destinations such as Japan and Serbia have appeared in the flight plans of major airlines.
As one of the main regional airlines in China, Tianjin Airlines has regained its vitality after three years of low operation. At the same time as the domestic flight volume has increased in a stepwise manner, more than 10 international routes, including Tianjin Zhengzhou Sydney, Tianjin Xi'an London, and Tianjin Seoul, have been opened one after another.
Mr. Sun, a passenger, went on a trip to Sydney with his family and took Tianjin Airlines GS7940 on the return journey, then transferred back to Tianjin via Zhengzhou. "The journey was smooth, and after successfully disembarking from Zhengzhou and clearing customs, we processed the transfer procedures through the international domestic transfer express, which was very convenient," Mr. Sun said.
According to Wang Jieming, Assistant to the President of Tianjin Airlines, during the summer and autumn seasons of 2023, Tianjin Airlines will open and encrypt 82 new routes, with an expected operation of 240 routes and 108 domestic and international navigable cities. According to statistics from Tianjin Binhai International Airport, the airport completed a throughput of 1.667 million people in May this year, an increase of 302.6% compared to the same period in 2022.
With the continuous recovery of the aviation industry, the demand for aviation professionals has also increased significantly. Wang Jieming said that since the beginning of this year, Tianjin Airlines has carried out more than 10 recruitment activities in Tianjin, Chengdu, Changsha and other places, and plans to introduce more than 900 people throughout the year.
21-year-old Ma Rui graduated from the Civil Aviation Flight Academy of China. She joined Tianjin Airlines as a member of the spring recruitment plan in February this year. "Although I haven't officially participated in the flight yet, watching my colleagues' busy schedules every day gives me confidence in the future of the aviation industry."
"Continuously exploring the regional aviation market, better serving the development of small and medium-sized cities in economic and trade exchanges, tourism development, and other fields, and preparing for the prosperity of the tourism market at any time is the focus of Tianjin Airlines' development this year," said Li Xiang, General Manager of Tianjin Airlines' Regional Marketing Department.
As the night deepens, Tianjin Binhai International Airport is brightly lit. Every once in a while, a plane soars into the sky, and the indicator lights on the aircraft flash in the darkness.
