With general aviation (GA) set to boom as its economy takes off, China”s General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC) has noted on its website that 2010 has been set as the year in which it will standardise its airspace according to international rules.
Presently Chinese airspace is run by the national armed forces. All flights have to be approved which very much restricts pleasure flying and more importantly, the use of business jets and turboprops for executive use.
These regulations and a lack of interest by the military have slowed down development of this important aviation sector. With a much more relaxed attitude, the market is expected to open up for American manufacturers, their European counterparts, and also for Embraer of Brazil with its developing range of lightweight business aircraft.
It is thought that within the next decade China could become a major general aviation market. If the CAAC takes over air traffic control, or at least has some serious say in its running, its more flexible attitude will be to the advantage of not just GA but airline operations as well.