An action plan published by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), reveals that China aims to transform its civil aviation industry to become the world's leader by 2050, a
Xinhua report said.
Under the plan, from 2021 to 2035, China will strengthen its civil aviation industry to not only take the lead in air transportation, but also become home to the world's most competitive
airlines and aviation hubs.
The plan entails an advanced air service system and general aviation system, a modernised air traffic management system, a sound security guarantee system and highly efficient management.
Strategic industry
By 2050, the industry will be further improved to satisfy the needs of Chinese people and to become a world leader in global competitiveness, innovation, management and sustainable development,
and fully participate in international civil aviation management, the CAAC action said. It added that airports and air routes will be integrated with information networks, while passenger and
cargo transport will become highly efficient.
Describing civil aviation as "a strategic industry playing a primary and leading role" in China's economic development, Dong Faxin, CAAC's deputy chief of the development and planning bureau,
said the action plan had been made to meet the ever-growing needs of the public for safe, fast, convenient and quality transport services.
Surpassing the U.S.
China currently has the world's second-largest aviation market, after the U.S. In its latest 20-Year Air Passenger Forecast, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that China
will replace the U.S. as the world's largest aviation market in the mid-2020s.
The Xinhua report noted that latest data from the CAAC show that China's civil aviation sector expanded at a steady rate in the first seven months of the year. Total air transport turnover
reached 68.8 billion tonne-km in the January-July period, up 12.8% year-on-year, registering faster growth than the 12.5% increase for 2017. Cargo turnover rose 6.6% year-on-year to 4.1 million
tonnes.
Currently, there are 60 airlines, 3,549 aircraft, 410 general aviation airlines and 232 transport airports in China. Beijing Capital International Airport ranks second worldwide for passenger
traffic, while Shanghai Pudong International Airport is the third largest by cargo traffic.
Nol van Fenema
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