Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) chief Li Jiaxiang revealed in Beijing on June 11, 2012 that the number of airports in China is expected to reach more than 240 by the year of 2020, reported by People's Daily Online.

The 68th IATA Annual General Meeting & World Air Transport Summit opened grandly in Beijing in the morning of June 11, 2012. This has been the second time that IATA holds such a glorious meeting in China since IATA held its first AGM in China in Shanghai in 2002.

When delivering a speech at the meeting, Mr. Li Jiaxiang pointed out that the civil aviation industry in China will maintain strong growth momentum over the next one or two decades with the continuous development and growth of the Chinese economy.

"In particular, major busy airports are running at their full capacities, and this is the problem we are trying to tackle with right now," Mr. Li Jiaxiang said.

According to Mr. Li Jiaxiang, China plans to build 70 new airports and to renovate or expand 100 existing airports in the coming years. By the end of 2015, the number of airports for civil aviation use is expected to exceed 230, with passengers set to reach 450 million. By then, there will be 2,700 transport airplanes and 2,000 general aircraft.

Mr. Li Jiaxiang also expressed that by the year of 2020, the number of airports in China will exceed 240, seeking to meet and satisfy the market needs for 700 million air passenger trips.