Several Chinese airlines have indicated a willingness to work with national railway operators as a way to deal with increased competition from the country's new high-speed railways, website Qianlong reports.
China's rapidly expanding high-speed railways eventually will cover 60 percent of the market currently held by airlines and are predicted to be a major competitor of the air carriers within the next 20 years.
Besides offering promotional campaigns such as specially priced airfares for sky shuttles that maximally simplifying the checking-in procedures and using more cost-effective regional jets, the country's airline industry has called for a combined air and rail transportation network to reduce the competition it now faces.
Through their cooperation, China's airlines and railway operators will offer tickets for through travel in the future and only require passengers to check their luggage once during their entire journey, the report said, citing information in the annual reports of the airline companies.
Some airlines plan to submit a proposal to establish a combined air and rail transport system and comprehensive transportation junctions to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the news report said, citing an unnamed agency employee.
Airlines and rail operators in many other countries have already teamed up to provide integrated air and rail transportation routes, the news report said.
