Tough regulations governing the country's general aviation market are set to be lifted with help from FAA
China last week pledged it is ready to work with local and foreign general aviation companies to open up business opportunities in its heavily restricted general and business aviation sectors.
"We've decided to make China number three in the world for aviation, including business aviation and general aviation," Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) general aviation division director Meng Ping told the forum. "To reach that goal, general aviation of course needs to improve and we do have special planning for this."
The CAAC in May 2003 published looser general aviation regulations, but it is under pressure from the general aviation community to go further.
For example, although the notice period for most domestic general aviation flights has been cut to one day, 14-day advance notice is still required for most international flights. Several business jet operators complain they often turn away potential VIP customers because they cannot guarantee flights to China with less than 14 days notice.
Finland's Jetflit, which operates about 15 business jet flights to China a year, says even air ambulance flights typically require four to five days notice, which is not fast enough for customers in need of immediate evacuation from China to Europe for medical treatment.
General aviation operations in China also still fall under commercial aviation regulations, so military permission is required for cross-country flights and hefty user fees are levied. "There will be more complete and more simple [regulations] for local and international operators," Meng said. "We'd like to work together to make the regulation and law more suitable for general aviation business." Meng declined to give details or any timeframe for changes, saying the government is still in the process of setting a new agenda. However, CAAC is now seeking help from the US Federal Aviation Administration.
FAA Beijing senior representative Joe Tymczyszyn says the CAAC recently began a visual flight rules (VFR) charting programme with FAA help that should result in the publication of 30-40 sectional VFR charts, starting with northeast China, in about four years. The CAAC has also requested a meeting with the FAA to discuss general aviation flight standards to help develop regulatory oversight.
"Everyone is wondering whether general aviation in China will develop or not," says Tymczyszyn. "Right now it's hard to tell, but personally I think it will develop."
Source: Flight International