GUANGZHOU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, just two hours drive from Hong Kong, opened last week, presenting a real challenge to Chek Lap Kok. The existing Baiyun airport moved 15m passengers last year against Hong Kong”s 27.3m and 500,000 tonnes of cargo against 2.7m. Both airports serve the Pearl River Delta, the engine room of China”s economic boom. The new $2.4bn state-of-the-art airport poses a potent threat to Hong Kong's position as Asia's second-biggest air hub (Tokyo”s downtown Haneda is the busiest). A second phase of the airport, which is expected around 2010, will be able to handle 80m and 2.5m tonnes of cargo a year. China Southern had the honour of the first take-off, to Haikou
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