Chengdu to host World Route 2016

After three rounds of intense competition with four other airports, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport was chosen to host World Route 2016, Katie Bland, director of Routes at UBM Live, announced in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, on April 13.

World Routes is a global gathering of aviation organizations from around the world, bringing together representatives of airlines, airports, tourism authorities and civil aviation authorities. The event offers airlines the opportunity to meet with airports and stakeholders to negotiate air service and shape the future's air networks.

Chengdu is the second Chinese city to host the event, following Beijing in 2009.

An aviation industry source said the organizers chose Chengdu Shuangliu Airport due to its overall security capacity and great development potential.

The airport is the largest aviation hub in central and western China and, in recent years, it has enjoyed a series of national preferential policies, including a 72-hour visa-free transit policy.

It had 71 international routes in 2013 compared with 39 in 2010, resulting in a passenger throughput growth of over 155 percent.

And the airport authorities said they aim to seize the opportunity of hosting the event to enhance the existing flight network, and to develop long-haul flights to Russia, Africa and other regions.