Shanghai has two airports, with the opening of the new Pudong International Airport (PIA) in October 1999 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. But until further notice, all flights arrive and depart at the existing Hongqiao International Airport (HIA), a half-hour taxi ride (15 kilometers) from the heart of Shanghai.The existing Hongqiao Airport, though slightly down at heel, actually works quite well and is easily accessed from the central business district where many airlines have offices. It handled an average of 2,567 flights a week last year, of which 28 per cent were international. In the first half of 1999, it handled 6.72 million passengers, up 2.07 percent from last year; and 341,400 tonnes of cargo, up 32.07 percent.Twenty-one domestic airlines and 20 foreign airlines now use the airport. The two Shanghai-based airlines, China Eastern Airlines (CEA) and Shanghai Airlines (SAL), have substantial investments at Hongqiao and are probably reluctant to move overnight to Pudong.