Travel agencies in Shanghai are still trying to understand the
implications of a weekend announcement by the country's aviation
watchdog banning "red-eye flights," but travelers may end up paying
more for their next trip to Hainan Island or the preserved forest
of Zhangjiajie.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China announced the ban in
reaction to the crash of two Chinese airplanes within a month.
Red-eye flights were introduced to China in the last few years as
domestic airlines try to cash in on growing market demand during
China's three weeklong holidays to mark International Labor Day,
National Day and Spring Festival.
"Understandably, safety on those flights is comparatively less
guaranteed when pilots, cabin crew, as well as air traffic control
officers and ground staff are working during later hours of the day
or early hours in the morning," said an official at Shanghai's
Hongqiao airport who decline to be named.
Some large travel agencies sell seats on charted red-eye flights to
China's most-popular tourist destinations. If the red-eye flights
are canceled, those trips will become more expensive, they say.
A
five-day package tour to Hainan on a red-eye flight can cost as
little as 1,490 yuan (US$180), said Xie Fei, an official with the
Shanghai branch of China Travel Service Company.
"If the red-eye flights are canceled, the package will cost about
400 yuan (US$48) more," said Xie.
While most travel agencies contacted by Shanghai Daily
yesterday said they don't operate many charter flights, one
employee of the Shanghai Spring International Travel Service
Company, one of the country's largest travel agencies, said the
company runs a daily charter to Hainan.
But the company, as well as various airlines and airports around
the country, is still unsure how the CAAC defines the term red-eye
flight.
No
CAAC officials could be reached yesterday for a definition, but
internationally, it is widely agreed among industry officials that
the term usually applies to flights departing between 10 p.m. and 6
a.m., or arriving after 12.30 a.m., regardless of what time they
depart.
"So far, no changes have been made to our company's scheduled
operations and we haven't received any formal notice from the CAAC
about cancellation of any of our flights," said Wang Wanlong, a
spokesman of Shanghai Airlines.
Both Pudong and Hongqiao airports handle several domestic red-eye
flights every night, but neither has announced any schedule
changes.
There are also several international flights, mostly Europe-bound,
departing from Pudong International Airport after 10 p.m., but both
airport officials and airline staff said these flights won't be
affected by the CAAC ban.
Search teams seek black box
Search teams aided by detection equipment from the United States
homed in yesterday on missing flight recorders that could help
explain why a China Northern Airlines jetliner plunged into the
sea, killing all 112 people on board.
Divers and sonar-equipped ships have narrowed the search for the
"black box" recorders to within a 100-meter radius, China Central
Television said in its main midday news broadcast.
CCTV said more than 80 boats have joined search and salvage
efforts. Some 50 divers also are working around the clock in
shifts, but have been hampered by poor visibility underwater.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-82's nose cone, landing gear, an emergency
exit, electronic equipment, and large pieces of the cockpit and
fuselage have already been pulled from the sea, Xinhua News Agency
reported.
Relatives of all 103 passengers who died in the May 7 air crash
will get between 182,000 yuan (US$21,927) and 194,000 (US$23,467)
yuan in compensation, Jiang Lianying, general manager of China
Northern Airlines announced yesterday.
According to Jiang, the sum will not include money already given to
victims' relatives for living expenses, funeral expenses or
accommodation in Dalian, nor will it affect allowances to the
relatives by the government or the victims' employers.
(eastday.com May 14,
2002)