The civil aviation authority is planning to offer financial incentives to regional carriers to encourage them to serve non-hub cities.

Under the policy, the General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC) will for the first time give subsidies to regional carriers and adjust existing subsidy measures for small and medium airports.

It is estimated that all regional carriers and more than 80 percent of the Chinese mainland's 147 airports will benefit from the new policies, the CAAC said yesterday in a news release on its website.