China will further relax a ban on the use of low-altitude airspace in 2012 on a trial basis, air traffic authorities has said.

Starting from January, airspace below 1,000 meters in northeast, central and south China, as well as six pilot cities, will be open to general aviation flights, said Zhu Shicai, an official with the state air traffic control commission.

Zhu made the remarks Thursday at the International Forum on China Business/General Aviation, being held Nov. 17-18 in the city of Zhuhai in the southern province of Guangdong.

The six pilot cities are Tangshan, Xi'an, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Kunming.

"It is wise for China to reform its airspace management. The massive general aviation market in China will benefit the purchasers and enterprises on the industry chain home and abroad," said Steve J. Brown, senior vice president of the U.S. National Business Aviation Association Inc., at the forum.

General aviation refers to flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial.

Clear Signals

The new policy definitely signals the determination of China to boost general aviation, which is on the list of the country's strategic emerging new industries, said an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

A series of measures have been taken to provide a favorable environment for the development of the general aviation, said Shi Libo, director with the transportation department with the CAAC.

China's State Council and the Central Military Commission jointly released an order to open up part of the country's low-altitude airspace for the first time last year.

The central government said in its 12th Five-Year Plan for 2011-2015 period that it will promote the general aviation industry's development, reform the airspace management system as well as increase the efficiency of the allocation and utilization of airspace resources.

The low-altitude airspace over regions and cities to be open to general aviation flights on a trial basis accounts for 31.6 percent of airspace over China's total land territory, said Zhu.

By 2015, China will carry out nationwide reform on low-airspace control and management, and draw up a set of management and supervision policies, as well as create new industry standards, Zhu added.

General aviation also receives financial support from the central government, said Shi. Special projects on general aviation airport will be carried out in the near future, providing financial support to infrastructure construction as well as professional training.

"Under new policies, the general aviation industry will fuel economic growth," said Shi.

Room for Growth

It is estimated that by 2012, China would need 10,000 to 12,000 aircraft in the general aviation field, according to civil aviation authorities. The related industries would form a huge market valued at about 1 trillion yuan.

Due to control over low-altitude airspace, the general aviation industry has developed slowly in the country.

At present, China has only 113 registered licensed general aviation firms, compared to 3,000 in the EU.

The number of China's general aviation aircraft only accounts for three per thousand of the global total, according to Xu Zhanbin, deputy general manager of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

With the opening of the country's low-altitude airspace, the huge development potential and room for development of the general aviation industry is emerging, insiders said.

The China Aviation Industry General Aircraft CO., Ltd (CAIGA), a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China started a 23.6 billion yuan GE project in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, in 2009.

The company also has purchased the U.S.-based Cirrus Industries Inc., the world's second largest general aviation aircraft manufacturer, in this June, said Qu Jingwen, president of CAIGA.

The world is casting their focus on China's signals to boost the general aviation industry. There has been a big acceleration of general aviation in China, said Jean-Noel Robert, chairman with the Asian Business Aviation Association.

"Comparing to the amazing wealth in China, there are huge gaps between the anxious need in enjoying the flying fun and practical business need. China is such a massive expanding market that everyone can find the potentials," he said.