Five major airports in South China's Pearl River Delta will join forces in a bid to offer improved and safer service.

The airports in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Macao and Zhuhai have vowed to jointly create a unified brand name to help boost the region's economic development.

The airports' top officials gathered in Shenzhen on Wednesday, the second of such meetings, agreeing to further co-operation in more fields to upgrade their competitiveness.

The airports will become each other's substitute airport. For example, when an aeroplane fails to land at one airport due to reasons such as poor weather, it can choose to land on any one of the other four.

In case of emergencies, the five airports will share information and send aid groups to each other when needed.

Other moves include the establishment of a collective website, and increased efforts to attract more tourists to the Pearl River Delta region.

A team of experts will study the details of the co-operation intentions following the meeting to ensure they can be implemented.

The group is expected to meet again in Macao in October.

"It is our common belief that the air transportation market in the Pearl River Delta can be magnified," said Chen Hong, general manager of the Shenzhen Airport Co Ltd at the meeting.

He believed the co-operation will become increasingly effective.

"I am glad Zhuhai airport has been included in the talks, and I think the Zhuhai airport will improve in the joint venture," said Feng Zhaoming, head of Zhuhai airport.

Shenzhen airport has experienced a rapid growth in cargo transportation so far this year.

( China Daily March 29, 2002)