With the intensive "expansion wave" over the past year, the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area is becoming one of the regions with the highest density of airport runways in the world, accelerating the formation of a "world-class airport cluster" and gradually turning blueprints into reality. On July 30th this year, the fifth runway of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport successfully flew, which will be China's second and the first five runway airport in the Greater Bay Area; On August 3rd, the three runway flight verification of Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport was successfully completed, laying the foundation for its operation within the year; With the official launch of the three runway system at Hong Kong International Airport in November 2024, the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, which already has 13 runways in use, will soon welcome its 14th and 15th runways. At present, there are three hub airports in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong within the Greater Bay Area, two mainline airports in Zhuhai and Macau, and two regional airports in Huizhou and Foshan. The airline network covers more than 200 cities worldwide. In addition to airports in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, several other airports in the Greater Bay Area are also constantly updating their progress in renovation and expansion. In May 2024, the expanded apron of Huizhou Airport was officially put into use, with the number of parking spaces increasing from 8 to 14; In November, the expansion and reclamation project of Macau International Airport began; In December, the new terminal of Foshan Airport was put into use... The Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area proposes to build a world-class airport cluster. Consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's position as an international aviation hub, strengthen the functions of the aviation management training center, enhance the competitiveness of Guangzhou and Shenzhen airports as international hubs, strengthen the functions of airports such as Macau and Zhuhai, and promote the differentiated development and positive interaction of airports in the Greater Bay Area. In 2024, the total passenger throughput of the seven airports in the Greater Bay Area will exceed 200 million, reflecting the vitality of the Greater Bay Area urban agglomeration, the expansion of opening up to the outside world, and the stable and positive development trend of the urban economy, providing strong support for the expansion of airports in the Greater Bay Area. The development of airport clusters is also closely related to the acceleration of "hard connectivity" in the Greater Bay Area. With the completion of multiple large-scale cross-border infrastructure projects such as the Guangzhou Shenzhen Hong Kong high-speed railway and the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge, Hong Kong International Airport has established a close and multi-dimensional sea land air intermodal network in the Greater Bay Area; Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport seizes the opportunity of the opening of the Shenzhen Zhongshan Expressway, opening two airports in Zhongshan and Jiangmen, and opening two airport express lines in Shenzhen Zhongshan and Shenzhen Jiangmen... Recently, the T3 terminal project of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport passed the joint acceptance of completion. In the future, the comprehensive transportation center here plans to introduce six high-speed railways and three intercity railways; The planned parking lot for Shenzhen Airport East Station, constructed by China Railway Construction Engineering Group, consists of 6 units and 14 lines. The Shenzhen Jiang Railway, Guangzhou Shenzhen Second High speed Railway, Shenzhen Shenzhen Intercity Railway, and multiple subways will intersect here. Passengers can take a plane upstairs and transfer to high-speed trains and subways downstairs. All transfers can be completed within 5 minutes at the fastest. The interconnected sea land air intermodal network constantly refreshes the "speed of the bay area". According to the person in charge of China Railway Construction Engineering Group, after the completion of Shenzhen Airport East Station, it will take half an hour to reach Guangzhou Nansha Free Trade Zone and one hour to reach Jiangmen from here, making it one of the key hub stations in the Greater Bay Area. The Greater Bay Area airport cluster has also established a differentiated positioning system. In terms of collaborative mechanisms, a meeting mechanism for the chairpersons of the five major airports in the Pearl River Delta has been established, with annual meetings held to promote cooperation and exchange; At the end of 2023, the policy of "flying through Hong Kong via Zhuhai" will be officially implemented, and passengers departing from the mainland via the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge to Hong Kong International Airport do not need to go through Hong Kong entry and exit procedures; The "Dongguan Hong Kong International Airport Center", a collaboration between Hong Kong and Dongguan, has served over 300 foreign trade enterprises in the Greater Bay Area... The collaborative mechanism is upgrading the Greater Bay Area airport cluster from a "scale advantage" to a "quality advantage". The International Air Transport Association predicts that by 2030, the demand for air passenger and cargo transportation in the Greater Bay Area will reach 387 million passengers and 20 million tons. The Greater Bay Area airport cluster is forming a multi-layered network of "Hong Kong international transit+Guangzhou Asia Pacific hub+Shenzhen emerging market direct flights", covering major economies and emerging markets around the world, demonstrating strong global connectivity capabilities. Wang Guowen, Director of the Institute of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the China (Shenzhen) Institute of Comprehensive Development, stated that the expansion of the airport cluster will not only make the Greater Bay Area an aviation logistics hub connecting China and the world, but also reduce logistics costs for enterprises in the region, promote the free flow and efficient allocation of economic factors, drive the development of the airport economy, promote consumption upgrading, and promote the transformation of the Greater Bay Area from a "world factory" to a "world market", achieving high-quality economic development. (New Society)