China's general aviation sector takes off
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-05-29 06:10
China's general aviation aircraft, which services air cargo transport and
industry but not passenger traffic, are expected to see their time aloft greatly
expand to 140 thousand hours by 2010 said Yang Guoqing, Vice Minister of General
Administration of the Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).
Speaking at the the International General Aviation Industry Exhibition held
Sunday in east China's Shandong Province, Yang said the country's general
aviation sector will grow at an annual average rate of about 10 percent over the
next five years.
He said flying time of China's general aviation aircraft has reached 84.9
thousand hours, three times as much as in 1978. Last year, general aviation air
traffic reached 26.13 billion ton-kilometers, which is the number of tons of
cargo multiplied by the nubmer of kilometers flown.
He said the rapid development of the sector provides domestic and foreign
plane makers with huge business opportunities.
China, which has the second most air traffic in the world, now has 570
general aviation aircraft, 235 more than in 2002. According to official figures,
China is estimated to require 12,000 general aviation aircraft by 2012.
|
