China's move to open up its skies to more civilian planes should bring some relief to travelers in a country notorious for frequent flight delays.

The new airspace regulations are being implemented before the Beijing Olympics next August and a change in the public holiday system giving citizens more leisure time.

By halving the vertical distance between planes in the air, China has doubled the number of aircraft that can fly at any one time, bringing its burgeoning aviation industry in line with developed-nation standards.

China's military controls the nation's skies and allows only 30% of the airspace for passenger planes, making China one of the world's most restrictive countries in terms of aviation. Civilian planes are allowed to fly at certain levels within an altitude range of 8,400 to 12,500 meters. Those levels have now increased to 13 from seven, the same number of cruising altitudes as in the U.S. The change kicked in on Nov. 22.

In a statement on Nov. 23, China's General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC) said the new ruling will "greatly reduce the air and ground delays caused by the shortage of usable layers, increase air traffic flow, improve flight traffic jams and flight delays and raise the efficiency of civil aviation."

China's flight delays are frequent and often happen without clear explanations. The most recent large-scale incident started on Nov. 20, when airspace controls were imposed over eastern China for unspecified reasons, according to the state news media.

More than 150 flights were delayed in Shanghai, affecting 7,000 passengers in the first two days, state media reported, while in Guangzhou, 1,600 passengers had their travel plans disrupted on the first day. State media said the controls will be lifted at midnight on Nov. 24.

China's airspace may be stretched to the limit next year, as the country prepares for the Beijing Olympics, when two million domestic and international visitors are expected in the capital alone.

A government proposal to expand the number of public holidays may also test the aviation industry. Legal holidays may go up to 11 from 10, and short domestic trips are expected to increase since the plan includes giving citizens more three-day weekends.

While industry observers will be watching China's skies for any signs of trouble under the new regime, its implementation is by no means sudden or unprepared. Chinese aviation authorities have approached the transformation gradually -- for example, beefing up air traffic control systems -- in an effort to minimize risks.

In fact, China's air safety record is excellent. Despite frequent double-digit annual growth in the number of hours China's airlines fly, their most recent fatal-accident rates are lower than those in America and Europe. Many industry officials and analysts have long felt that China's extra vertical airspace buffer has been so cautious as to be antiquated.