An increasing number of children are flying and traveling around China on their own. Eleven-year-old Guo Yongyi quickly finds her place in Row 38 on the three-houi morning flight from Beijing to Shenzhen , Guangdong province. She takes the window seat and calls for the flight attendant (乘务员) to ask for a blanket,places her purple backpack under the seat in front of her and fastens her seat belt. Guo has just spent her summer vacation with a cousin in Beijing and is re-turning home for the new school term. She is among a growing number of children, aged between 5and 12, traveling on their own by air during their school holidays. Like Guo , many children make visits to see family members , while others fly to attend vacation camps. Guo first traveled all by herself when she was 7. At that time she had no idea about security checks or what a boarding gate was. In the plane she was too to ask for a drink or a blanket. Now, everything is different. She behaves naturally as if she is at home. When Guo"s flight returns from Shenzhen, it has two other children on the plane, 9-year-old He Yinnan and 10-year-old Gong Hao. He, a beautiful little girl with large clear eyes,needs more help. After finding out He feels sick , Ma Ning , an attendant, gives He a cup of water and suggests that she takes a walk. "We try our best to become helpful "aunts" for children," she said. |