Chinese airlines owe airports $585mn

Chinese airlines owe more than US$585 million to domestic airports in unpaid fees, Reuters reported, citing state media. Airports charge that the non-payment of fees, which usually account for more than 70% of their income, is impacting operations. "We have submitted a report to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, demanding all airlines sign service contracts with airports before the end of this year. If no money is received from certain airlines, airports have the rights to refuse service," said Wang Jian, secretary general of the China Civil Airport Association. Airlines including Air China, China Eastern and China Southern have reported an aggregate loss of US$629.5 million in the first ten months of the year due to lower passenger volumes.