Shanghai is a pivotal economic, technological and industrial center of China. Its GDP ranks number one within the country itself and number two within the continent of Asia. Committed to the completion of an international financial, shipping and Trade Center by 2020, the city plays an integral role in the entire country’s commercial development. All of this makes Shanghai’s airports – Pudong International airport (ZSPD) and Hongqiao international airport (ZSSS) – two of the China’s busiest.
Currently Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Terminal 1 is under renovation due to ramp maintenance. This has led to a restriction on all business flights – they are currently prohibited from staying at Hongqiao airport for more than three days. This restriction was introduced in early July this year and will apply until September 17th. Therefore, operators planning to utilize Hongqiao airport for more than a three-day stay during this period will need to reschedule and look for alternative solutions. One of the possible solutions to this is to reposition the aircraft to Shanghai Pudong airport for parking; ZSPD is only around a one hour drive from Hongqiao airport. Currently there are no parking restrictions at Pudong airport, however as one of China’s busiest airports, parking availability should always be reconfirmed prior to any operation. In case parking is unavailable at Pudong during the required timeframe, the best solution is to position the aircraft in the nearby cities of Hangzhou or Nanning. Securing parking at Hangzhou airport (ZSHC) or Nanning airport (ZSNJ) is generally very doable, however, Nanning airport is expensive when compared with Hangzhou – often a deciding factor when deciding between these two airports.
The second restriction at Hongqiao Airport prohibits take-off or landing for business jets from or in an East or Northeast direction between 07:00 –22:59 Local time (which is 23:00 – 14:59 UTC). The curfew time at ZSSS is 00:00-06:00 Local time daily (which is 16:00 – 22:00 UTC) with no landing or take off is allowed during this timeframe. Therefore, aircraft is only allowed to operate from or to the East and Northeast between 06:00-07:00 Local time. This policy has been introduced with the aim of improving air traffic flow in the area which is considered crucial to ensure the smooth running of the entire air traffic in China. It must be followed strictly as no exemption will be made by the Chinese authorities. Also, with military control over the airspace of PRC these restrictions are unlikely to be removed anytime soon.
Another restriction at Shanghai Hongqiao airport determines that one aircraft cannot occupy more than two inclusive slots during the peak hours 08:00—21:59 Local time (which is 0000-1359UTC) on the same day. This regulation is also applicable at other busy airports such as Beijing (ZBAA), Guangzhou (ZGGG), Shenzhen (ZGSZ), and also Shanghai Pudong (ZSPD). This policy is a result of the increase in the passenger throughput at these airports that has reached an extraordinarily high level. According to a survey published last year, the incoming and outgoing passengers count to and from Shanghai Hongqiao airports ranks 4th among all busiest airports in China – the top three being Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai Pudong. This year, for the first time, the total passenger count to and from both of Shanghai’s airports total more than Beijing Capital Airport. Being an international hub for flight connections, Shanghai is further developing its infrastructure as the demand for air travelling and cargo continues. However, with the rapid economic development in Shanghai, Shanghai airports probably will become much busier in the future causing even tighter slots restriction to be implemented.
It’s always better to have full understanding of the airport policies and local regulations before flying to a foreign city to ensure you’re prepared in advance to avoid any rush or unexpected surprises. If you would like more information regarding Shanghai Hongqiao airport or any other airports on mainland China, UAS’ Asia Pacific team are here to advise you. Our station manager in Shanghai can assist you in every possible way to ensure your trip unfolds seamlessly.
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Mitch Launius
Instructor Pilot for 30 West IP
Mitch is the CEO of 30 West IP where he is also an instructor providing pilot training on international procedures. With an illustrious career of over 34 years in the cockpit, Mitch has acquired over 13,000 hours of flight time flying worldwide, with over 9,000 hours of this in Challenger and Gulfstream aircraft. He is an experienced safety officer and was also an IS-BAO project manager for a fortune 500 flight department. He has presented on Safety and Operations topics at the NBAA International Operators Conference and the Canadian Business Aviation Association Convention and is currently on the NBAA International Operators Committee and serves as the North Atlantic Regional Lead. Mitch is also a member of an FAA working group on General Aviation International Authorizations and Tabletop Exercises (GIATE). He was recently selected to represent IBAC as a member of the ICAO Personal Training and Licensing Panel (PTLP) and was also recently named as a 2020 recipient of the NBAA Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award for his contribution to the business aviation community.
Henry ‘Duke’ LeDuc
Director Of Operations, Americas, UAS International Trip Support
Duke has been a dearly respected member of UAS Americas team and the UAS global family for more than five years. A safety-oriented, FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he oversees all of the operations of the elite UAS Operations Team. With twenty-five years of experience in aviation overall with more than fifteen years of experience in international flight planning and VVIP trip coordination, he is responsible for the development of the dispatch training program and involved in the strategic development of UAS Americas. With a myriad of rich aviation experience behind him, he has extensive experience in worldwide operations with both corporate and charter environments, including seven years as Operations/Dispatch Manager in an industry-leading, Fortune 500, IS-BAO Stage III Certified corporate flight department. Duke is frequently asked shares his knowledge at major industry events and is currently serving on the NBAA’s International Operators Conference (IOC) Planning Committee.
Dudley King
President and Founder, FlightBridge
Dudley is the Founder and President of FlightBridge, which he established in 2011 and has been focused on technology solutions for the private aviation industry since 2006. Since he graduated from Dartmouth in 1988, he has worked with an array of companies listed anywhere from VentureWire to the Fortune 100. A rare blend of executive, entrepreneur, and consultant, Dudley’s executive roles have included acting CIO positions for several companies and tech advisory services to CEOs trying to rebuild their technology organizations or looking for an external, professional point of view. Highly skilled at deeply understanding his customer’s business challenges and drawing from a long and varied experience in information technology services, Dudley excels at designing technology solutions to solve their problems.
Dr. Paulo Alves
Global Medical Director, Aviation Health, Medaire
Paulo has extensive experience in medical advisory in the aviation industry. As a cardiologist, he provides technical guidance and analysis for MedAire’s MedLink medical advisory service and is MedAire’s liaison with civil aviation regulators and industry associations. Paulo worked with Varig Brazilian Airlines for 23 years, 10 of which were spent as General Medical Manager. A member of the MedAire Medical Advisory Board, Paulo is also President of the Ibero-American Aerospace Medical Association, a member of the International Academy of Aerospace Medicine, a member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Safety Committee, a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), and a Fellow of the Civil Aviation Medical Association. Throughout his illustrious career, Paulo has held industry leadership roles including Chairperson of the AsMA’s Air Transport Medicine Committee, President of the Airlines Medical Directors Association, President of the Brazilian Society of Aerospace Medicine and was a member of the IATA Medical Advisory Group from 2002 to 2006.
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