The second drill scheduled Tuesday proved the facilities and systems in the Guangzhou New Baiyun International Airport were operational.

The drill was widely described as being much more like normal operations with more participants, more departments and equipment involved, the Guangzhou Daily reported Wednesday.

About 4,200 passengers participated Tuesday's drill at the new airport, which is expected to open in July.

President of Guangdong Airport Management Group, Zhang Chunlin, said that among the participants were senior officials and executives playing the roles of VIPs and disabled passengers, including the blind or others in wheelchairs.

All airport departments were involved including customs and frontier inspection.

A total of 49 international and domestic flights were organized to test the airport systems, three times more than the first drill.

The second drill had solved some minor problems in the airport's public address system, communications and luggage sorting which were identified in the previous drill in May.

"The rehearsal has helped us greatly in deciding the date when the new airport takes over from the existing one," Zhang said.

"The airport is dazzling, the environment is nice, and all the installations and equipment are advanced," said Zhang Bin, one of the participants in Tuesday's rehearsal.







 
(Shenzhen Daily June 17, 2004)