Guangzhou to offer wisdom for aviation and globalisation as World Routes 2018 unveils

Guangzhou, a pioneer of reform and opening up in southern China that boasts a unique flying culture, is about to host, in five days, a global dialogue on aviation – the 24th World Route Development Forum – from September 16 to 18.

“The World Routes 2018 will mark another global event that Guangzhou hosts after the 2010 Asian Games and the 2017 Fortune Global Forum. This shows how the world recognizes and expects the development of Guangzhou. It is an important opportunity for the city, in a new era, to further reform and opening up, grow the civil aviation industry and the airport economy and promote international trade, cooperation and exchanges in ways to enhance Guangzhou’s image on the global stage,” said Chen Zhiying, executive vice mayor of Guangzhou, at a press conference for the Forum on September 10.

To date, the World Route Development Forum has been held in major international cities like London, Berlin and Dubai. Guangzhou is the third Chinese city to host the event after Beijing and Chengdu.

The number of participants this year is expected to hit a record high. According to Zhang Kejian, president of Guangdong Airport Authority, organiser of the event, more than 3,200 representatives from airlines, airport administrative organisations, government and tourism agencies across some 110 countries, will gather in the city to discuss on ways to formulate a new blueprint for the global aviation industry.

As China’s southern gate to the world, Guangzhou also plays an indispensable role in global trade and international exchanges. For the past 2,200 years and more, Guangzhou has been increasing its connectivity with the world.

The Guangzhou Aerotropolis Development District (GADD) has been home to a total of 11,728 companies. “In GADD, five aerotropolis industry clusters, namely aircraft maintenance and freighter conversion, aviation logistics, aviation headquarters business, aerotropolis cross-border e-commerce and aircraft leasing, are emerging. As much as a prerequisite for the event, these enviable outcomes serve as more of a promoter for new opportunities, innovation and win-win cooperation,” said Zhiying.

As one of the national airport economy demonstration zones, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport will witness an output value of the aviation and relevant industries over 100 billion RMB by 2025, as the Terminal 3 and the fourth and fifth runways at the airport will have been basically completed with a comprehensive transportation system at the demonstration zone established.

According to Sun Xiuqing, director of the Administration Committee of GADD, aviation is indispensable to the meteoric rise of a modern international central city. “The Guangzhou international aviation hub and GADD are in the making as a result of global economic integration,” said Xiuqing.

Accelerating of aviation interconnection will bring about an accelerated convergence of high-end development factors such as talent, capital and technology. Today, Guangzhou hosts 297 Fortune 500 companies and it has trade and investment ties with 220 countries and regions.

“Guangzhou is one of the world’s oldest and busiest trade hubs and a thriving conference destination. In addition to being strategically focused on growing their air services and developing their infrastructure, the city is also spectacularly beautiful and historic, both of which are extremely attractive,” said Steven Small, brand director for the Routes events, explaining how the city was chosen as the event’s host.

Guangzhou’s Baiyun Airport will launch another 30 international routes within three years. As one of China’s three largest international aviation hubs, it is designated as an integral part for the Belt and Road Initiative, connecting to 48 cities in 29 countries along the routes.

“In 2018, we will seize the strategic opportunities from the Initiative and make full use of the construction of the airports within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In doing this, we will share the benefits of urban development with the rest of the world and advance the building of the world-class aviation hub,” said Kejian.

Focusing on better facilitating investment and trade, enhancing innovation cooperation among scientific and technological talents, and promoting cultural exchange as well as other key areas, Guangzhou is actively playing the role of international aviation, shipping, and scientific and technological innovation hub, and contributes wisdom to the development of the world aviation industry and the progress of globalisation.