Wants Things To Run Smoothly For 2008 Olympics

Beijing's Capital International Airport is giving fair warning to habitually tardy airlines. The airport is cracking down on flight delays by threatening to "suspend the operations of airlines which are frequently late".

The airport issued a notice this weekend that said domestic flights missing arrival times by more than 50 percent of the time or accumulate more than 20 departure delays will be listed and publicized every month and given a yellow warning, according to the China Daily.

Carriers receiving more than two yellow warnings will have their operations terminated.  

The airport will do its part with efforts to improve its monitoring system and ground services. A plan to shorten take-off intervals, including rearrangement of boarding gates, has been implemented and the airport's computer system has been updated.

Members of a special anti-delay workshop led by the airport's general manager Zhang Zhizhong said two inspection lanes will be added to speed passenger clearance and more customs officers fluent in foreign languages have been hired.

All these efforts are designed to "lay a foundation for smooth air transportation during the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games", said Yang Guoqing, vice-minister of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China.

FMI: www.bcia.com.cn/en