BIZCHINA> Center
Air France connects two nations
By Lu Haoting (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-14 10:43

"Our first flight to China was really a political drive. But as the first Western airline operating in China, we were also among the first to discover the huge market potential in China," Legre says. "By operating in China for over 40 years, we have witnessed its fast development, especially since 1980."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIDEO 6-3 

Since the country began to open up in 1978, China's air traffic has been increasing at double-digit rates each year to keep pace with its sizzling economic growth. China's air traffic has maintained an annual growth rate of 18 percent since 1980, almost double the country's average GDP growth rate and three times the world's average air traffic growth rate during the same period, show figures from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The booming economy makes the country a shining star in the global business travel market. As one of the world's top foreign direct investment destinations, China has become the focus of bankers, manufacturers and retailers worldwide, which is a trend airlines are quick to pick up on.


(For more biz stories, please visit Industries)