CAAC issues new rules to manage overdevelopment at Beijing Capital

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has issued new rules to manage the overdevelopment in the civil aviation industry, including cutting flights at the Beijing Capital International Airport and suspending applications for new airlines until 2010. The new regulations are meant to curb the excessive growth rate in air transport and promote harmonious and sustainable growth. These are contained in the CAAC’s notification on adjustment of total flight volume, entry into the air transport market and transport capacity increase. According to the document, starting on August 15, domestic flights to and from Beijing Airport will be decreased. Most of the flights that will be cut are those arranged within the daily peak-time periods. In the first phase, 48 flights will be cut. Of these, 10 flights will be decreased each from Air China, China Southern Airlines, and Hainan Airlines, and one each from Shanghai Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines. Exempted are the Beijing-Shanghai Hongqiao air route, air routes to and from small airports and revolutionary base tourism area airports, and air routes with fewer than 14 weekly flights. From August and September to next March, adjustment and control measures will be adopted for air route flight volume for several busy airports and airports with tight resources. By the end of October, the flight volume of BCIA will be reduced to 1,050 movements daily and 58 movements during peak hours. From November to March 2008, the volume will be reduced to 1,000 daily movements and 55 movements during peak hours. A total of 336 domestic flights to and from BCIA will be scrapped from August 15 to October 27. The CAAC is also suspending the application for new airlines until 2010 and imposing stricter measures in approving new airlines. However, the CAAC will still support and encourage applications to establish cargo airlines that employ mostly foreign pilots and operate at night, as well as airlines that use China-made aircraft and operate in western and northeastern China. The CAAC has enumerated conditions to manage air transport capacity growth. These are to strictly control transport capacity growth of new airlines, control the person-to-aircraft ratio, control pilot overtime flights, enhance safety surveillance for old aircraft, and enhance mechanic maintenance personnel man-hour management.