China’s First General Aviation Pilot Area Kicks Off in Shaanxi

Li Jiaxiang, Minister of CAAC, declared the official opening of Pucheng General Aviation Industry Park of Xi’an National Aviation Industry during the China International General Aviation Conference 2009 held days ago. This move signified the establishment of China’s only general aviation pilot area, which provided an example for the breakthrough development of domestic general aviation in China. In compliance with the planning of CAAC, Pucheng General Aviation Park, as China’s sole general aviation pilot area, will carry out a series of groundbreaking pilot programs including opening up low-altitude airspace, constructing, operating and managing general aviation airports and subsidizing pilot programs. Furthermore, newly formulated management policy and industry standards of general aviation as well as the integrated management system consisting general aviation operation supervision, safety control and risk management mechanism that involved the cooperation-participation of the administration, the local government, the military, the trade association and the enterprises (operators and insurance companies) will be experimented and perfected, then widely applied to the whole nation. According to the plan, the open airspace of the pilot area will connect Shaanxi Pucheng Airport with famous sight-seeing spots like Mount Huangshan, Qiayang Wetland, Sima Qian Temple, Huangdi Mausoleum and Hukou Waterfall. Thus, the connected routes as well as the tourist areas are established as open airspace which government can organize low-altitude sight-seeing flights in order to amass experience for the opening of low-altitude airspace. Li Jiaxiang said the developing progress of general aviation industry represented a national and regional development level of aircraft manufacture and aviation industry. Through many years of effort, China’s general aviation industry has massive development. Presently, registered enterprises totaled more than 100 with 8000 plus employees. It shows a rapid and healthy developing momentum. General aviation involves aircraft manufacture, airline operation, airport operation and management as well as aircraft’s procurement, finance and insurance etc. The prospective development of general aviation will bring along an important economic growth for the nation. CAAC will speed up the making and refining of the relavant development plan to ensure such growth sooner from policies that support and render a better environment.