China Loosens General Aviation Flight Restrictions

“China is to loosen its general aviation flight restrictions,” stated Mr. Ping Meng, Director of the CAAC National Defense Mobilization Office at the conference on the “Regulations on the Approval and Management of General Aviation Flight Operations” held in Beijing in late November.

The Regulations are expected to take effect Dec. 1. According to their guidelines, except for nine specified conditions that will still require official approval, most general aviation flights will only require the filing of a flight plan application and mission description.

Flights that still require official approval include:

Flights across China’s territorial boundaries, disputed regions controlled by the PRC, and flights originating from foreign locations (excluding civil flights along international routes) into China’s territory, should all be approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), as well as the Headquarters of the General Staff of the P.L.A. (the Headquarters) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Flights across the boundary of the Taiwan Strait FIR region (excluding civil flights along international routes) require operational approval from the CAAC as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of the PRC; flights across Hong Kong and Macao’s Airspaces require operational approval from Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department and the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR.

Flights 10 km into China’s territory and the disputed regions that are controlled by the PRC (excluding the civil flights along international routes) require operational approval from the military department of the region where the corresponding CAAC’s regional administration department is located; flights across the China’s Oceanic Flight Information Region (excluding flights across the Taiwan Strain region and along international routes) also require operational approval mission from the CCAC’s regional administration as well as the air force branch of the region where the CAAC’s regional administration department is located and should file to the corresponding military department; flights entering the above regions or across China’s Oceanic Flight Information Region for emergency incidents, such as forest fire fighting, should receive mission approval from the local flight control center and report to the corresponding air force unit of the military department.

GA flights operating in China’s prohibited airspace should receive mission approval from the CAAC and the PLA Headquarters; GA flights operating in China’s restricted airspace and hazardous areas also require mission approval from the region’s civil aviation administration, the local air force or the corresponding naval fleet.

Flights for photographing military facilities or remote-sensing geophysical prospection should apply for access to the operational area from the CAAC’s regional administration department as well as the corresponding military department; Flights for photographing important political and economic objects and geophysical resource prospection should also apply for access to the operational area from the CAAC’s regional administration department and the local governmental entities.

Cross-boundary flights for photographing and geophysical prospection by China along with adjacent countries or regions should report to the Ministry of Land and Resources of the PRC, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, the CAAC, and the Headquarter, and receive approval from the State Council of the PRC.

GA flights by foreigners or foreign aircraft flights into non-opened airports, airspace and air routes require operational approval from the CAAC as well as the Headquarters.

GA flights involving aerial photography, measuring, and remote-sensing geophysical prospection operated by central governmental departments, regional governmental departments, or enterprises using military aircraft, as well as cross-country flights operated by these entities using aircraft under the command of any armed force directly under the Headquarters or the aircraft of a PLA military area command require approval from the PLA headquarters. Other GA flights within a region where a PLA military area command is stationed should also receive operational approval from the PLA military area command. Other GA flights operated by aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Navy of the PRC or the People's Liberation Army Air Force of the PRC also require mission approval from the two or from the PLA naval fleet or the air force of the PLA military area command.

GA flights operating in special circumstances should proceed according to the related regulations of the central government and the General staff of the PLA.

中国民航局国防动员办公室主任孟平 11月下旬在北京召开的《通用航空飞行任务审批与管理规定》有关会上说，中国首次对通用航空飞行任务审批实行“负面清单”式管理。

《通用航空飞行任务审批与管理规定》将于12月起实施。该《规定》第五条明确提出，除以下规定的九种情形外，其他通用航空任务一律不需 申请和审批，但在飞行实施前，须按照国家飞行管制规定提出飞行计划申请，并说明任务性质。

仍然需要审批的飞行任务包括以下九种情况：

航空器进出中国陆地国界线、边境争议地区中方实际控制线或者外籍航空器飞入中国领空的（不含民用航空器沿国际航路飞行），由民用航空局商总参谋部、外交部审批。

航空器越过台湾海峡两岸飞行情报区分界线的（不含民用航空器沿国际航路飞行），由民用航空局商总参谋部、国务院台湾事务办公室审批；飞入香港、澳门地区的，须先通过相关渠道征得香港、澳门特别行政区政府有关部门同意。

航空器进入陆地国界线、边境争议地区实际控制线中方一侧 10公里的（不含民用航空器沿国际航路飞行），由民航地区管理局商所在军区审批；越过中国海上飞行情报区的（不含台湾海峡地区和沿国际航路飞行），由民航地区管理局商所在军区空军审批，报相关军区备案。进入上述地区或越过海上飞行情报区执行森林灭火、紧急救援等突发性任务的，由所在飞行管制分区指挥机构（航管中心）审批并报军区空军备案。

航空器进入空中禁区执行通用航空飞行任务，由民用航空局商总参谋部审批；进入空中危险区、空中限制区执行通用航空飞行任务，由民航地区管理局商军区空军或者海军舰队审批。

凡在中国从事涉及军事设施的航空摄影或者遥感物探飞行，其作业范围由民航地区管理局商相关军区审批；从事涉及重要政治、经济目标和地理信息资源的航空摄影或者遥感物探飞行，其作业范围由民航地区管理局商相关省、自治区、直辖市政府主管部门审批。

中国与相邻国家联合组织的跨越两国边境的航空摄影、遥感物探等通用航空飞行，由国土资源部商外交部、民用航空局、总参谋部提出意见，报国务院审批。

外籍航空器或者由外籍人员驾驶的中国航空器使用未对外开放的机场、空域、航线从事通用航空飞行，由民用航空局商总参谋部审批。

中央国家机关有关部门、地方人民政府和企业事业单位使用军用航空器进行航空摄影（测量）、遥感物探，以及使用总参谋部直属部队航空器或者使用军区所属航空器跨区从事通用航空飞行的，由总参谋部审批。使用军区所属航空器在辖区内进行其他通用航空飞行的，由相关军区审批；使用海军、空军所属航空器进行其他通用航空飞行的，由海军、空军或者海军舰队、军区空军审批。

国家组织重大活动等特殊情况下的通用航空飞行，按照国家和军队的有关规定要求审批。