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Beijing, Nov. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- With the fastest growing air transport
market in the world, China pledged yesterday to open the aviation sector wider
to private and foreign investment while spurring development of regional
airlines, reported China Daily.
The effects of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus, which
haunted many parts of the country last year, turned out to be short-lived and
the country's air travel picked up very quickly, said Gao Hongfeng,
vice-minister of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).
In the first nine months of this year, more than 90 million passengers
travelled by air in China, a surge of 50.2 per cent year on year, show the
latest statistics of the CAAC.
Speaking at the International Aviation and Aerospace Forum, Gao said air
transport in China is growing at a pace unseen in other countries and holds
unmatched development potential.
"In the whole of 2004, the number of air travelers in China is expected to
rise to a record high of 120 million."
As the country's rapid economic development will continue to stoke demands
for air transport, the civil aviation industry will realize sustainable growth
by implementing revamp and reform policies, he said.
The official said in the years ahead, administrative limits required for
civil aviation projects will be reduced in order to allow enterprises to compete
on a fair footing, while guaranteeing the interests of the State, enterprises
and consumers.
For example, operation rights for domestic air routes will be subject to
ever-relaxing procedures, he said.
In addition to State-owned firms, foreign and private companies will be
"guided and encouraged" to invest in air transportation, airports and other
civil aviation projects, he said.
"We'll actively adapt ourselves to the global air transport liberalization
tendency by phasing in the opening of China's air transport market," he said.
The vice-minister did not specify, but he said his agency will support
code-sharing between Chinese and foreign airlines and for them to forge
strategic partnerships or instigate other joint marketing efforts.
Between 1980 and 2003, more than US$30 billion in foreign investment was
pooled into China's civil aviation sector in projects including plane and engine
maintenance, ground services and air catering, Gao said.
The vice-minister also said China will step up international collaboration
to prevent terrorism threatening civil aviation safety.
Yang Yuzhong, vice-president of the China Aviation Industry Corp I (AVIC
I), China's major aircraft manufacturer, yesterday said his company aims to
become the country's leading supplier of regional airliners.
Demands on regional jets will be growing in China as air travel between
small and medium-sized cities becomes more frequent, said Liao Quanwang,
vice-director of the Aviation Industry Development Research Centre of China.
With the optimization of the country's air routes and fleet structure, the
country's airlines will favour planes with 50 to 70 seats, according to a
statement from the centre.
AVIC I announced the ARJ21, China's advanced regional jet programme, four
years ago. Before manufacturing of ARJ21 started last December, the company had
already clinched 35 orders for the jets, said company President Liu Gaozuo.
"We offer regional jets of the best quality but at a price and operational
cost up to 10 per cent lower than foreign counterparts," Liu said. "More
importantly, we provide products that most suit Chinese market needs."
The forum precedes the week-long 5th Airshow China, that officially started
yesterday afternoon.
Vice-Premier Huang Ju presided over the opening cerenomy of the airshow,
which draws participants from 32 countries and regions.
The exhibition, lasting till November 7, will coincide with academic
exchange, trade talks and aerobatic flights.
The biennial event has been held in the coastal city of Zhuhai in South
China's Guangdong Province since 1996.
(China Daily)
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