China GA Report EN

2017 

KING AIR 350i 

CHINA GENERAL 

AVIATION REPORT

Beijing 

Penglai 

Seoul 

Chengdu 

Shanghai 

Shenzhen 

Hong Kong 

Bangkok 

Manila 

ABOUT ASIAN SKY GROUP 

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DISCLAIMER 

The information contained in this report is provided free of charge, for reference only. While such information was compiled using 

the best available data as of June 30, 2017, ASG makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, 

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for damages of any kind, either direct or indirect, arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within this 

report. 

CONTRIBUTION 

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GA MARKET OVERVIEW 

CONTENTS 

02 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE 

28 

AIRCRAFT SPOTLIGHT: KING AIR 350i/350ER 

03 

FOREWORD 

34 

COMPANY PROFILE: KINGS AVIATION 

04 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

36 

ROTARY-WING MARKET 

06 


44 

OPERATOR OVERVIEW 

10 

12 

18 

FACTORS IMPACTING 

GA MARKET 

REGULATIONS AND POLICIES 

FIXED-WING MARKET 

46 

48 

62 

COMPANY PROFILE: XIHUA AVIATION 

INFRASTRUCTURE OVERVIEW 

TRAINING SCHOOLS AND PILOTS 

23 

COMPANY PROFILE: 

GA CHINA MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER’S NOTE 

There are some basic, necessary pillars required to have a healthy general aviation (GA) 

industry in China — and the Asia-Pacific region for that matter. One is certainly support 

from the top down, which we have recently witnessed with numerous regulatory and policy 

initiatives put in place by the Central Government. But another essential pillar must be from the 

bottom up and this means, at a grass roots level, interest in and development of GA. In the future, 

people will need to be drawn into GA in ever increasing numbers; the challenge today is to give 

them the initiatives to do so. 

So, this means more dedicated GA airports, with more infrastructure at those airports and 

incentives to encourage investment from the private sector in the GA industry. It also means more manufacturing of domestic aircraft, 

more in-country training schools and individuals seeking their private pilot’s license who ultimately see GA as a career, not as just a 

recreation. All are tough challenges for China and will not be solved overnight, but the stakeholders in China seem up to the task. 

ASG’s first China GA Report attempts to outline all these issues and present a “first of its kind” comprehensive overview of the state 

of the GA industry in China. The report examines GA development to date, factors influencing growth and the regulatory environment. 

Fixed-wing (jets, turboprops and piston) and rotary (turbine and piston) fleets and their distribution by province are all presented too. 

Finally, GA airports, industrial zones, FBOs, MROs, training schools and pilot demand are mapped out and discussed. ASG’s hope is 

that this report lays out some of the key elements of the GA industry in China, in one edition, thus becoming indispensable reading for 

all interested parties — earning a place as one of ASG’s annual publications. 

I must acknowledge here that ASG is not the first to focus on GA in China. What started as an internal publication for the Capital 

Research Institute of General Aviation in 2013, blossomed into GA China Magazine, a bilingual GA publication. GA CHINA Magazine 

has taken the lead in this industry, attempting to establish communication and provide a better understanding of GA. For the inaugural 

issue of ASG’s China GA Report, we are working in collaboration with GA China Magazine to maximize awareness, tackle the issues at 

hand and deliver more information than ever. 

Sincerely, 

Jeffrey C. Lowe 

Managing Director, Asian Sky Group 

2 | CHINA GA REPORT 2017

FOREWORD 

It is a great honor for me to write a preface for China GA Report, presented by Asian Sky Group 

(ASG). As co-sponsor of the report, GA CHINA Magazine is proud to partner with ASG at all 

levels. As the Executive-Chief-Editor for the magazine, I have witnessed the development of the 

industry in the past six to seven years, which is astonishing and exciting. There are approximately 

376 GA operators, 74 GA airports and about 200 industry associations and now in China. The 

industry has come a long way to obtain today’s achievement. 

Recently, the industry began to realize that the lack of data and communication was one of the 

main drivers that led to the failure of investments and closure of businesses. The industry has since developed a relatively comprehensive 

understanding that there are indeed tremendous gaps and differences between markets in China and other parts of the world. 

Other countries have spent decades to reach today’s achievement. For China, it is the same. We need to slow down to learn about the 

industry, take each step seriously, and solidly. 

ASG’s China GA Report is a great source for the most updated information on the China GA market, with detailed data of fleets, professionals, 

operation sectors, company profiles and so forth. Together with ASG, GA CHINA Magazine hopes to deliver the most in-depth 

industry interviews and articles with the most up-to-date information and provide a thorough understanding of the industry to our 

readers. 

The industry changes almost every day, especially for the fast-developing sectors such as helicopter and sports aviation. So, we shall 

take data and analysis as the cornerstone. I believe, with the assistance of great volumes of data and effective communication, the 

industry will eventually step on the right path. 

Sincerely, 

Elaine Qian Siyin 

Executive Managing Editor, GA China Magazine 

2017 CHINA GA REPORT | 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

• Mainland China is home to 1.379 billion people, making it the 

largest country, in terms of population. In the past few decades, 

China’s aviation industry has flourished. The government is 

now looking to tap into the potential of general aviation (GA), 

through new initiatives. 

• China’s GA industry is made-up of 2,776 aircraft, as of June 

2017. This includes fixed-wing aircraft (1,808), rotary-wing 

aircraft (903), airship and hot air balloons (65). 

• The fixed-wing fleet includes 330 business jets, 250 turboprops 

and 1,228 piston and electric aircraft. The Sichuan province 

is the most active, with the highest number of fixed-wing 

aircraft. Business jets within the country tend to operate in 

economically advanced regions, such as Beijing, Guangdong 

and Shanghai. Turboprop aircraft, which are often used for 

connection between remote second and third tier cities, are 

distributed evenly across the country. 

• The rotary-wing aircraft fleet stands at 903. Of this, 58% (519) 

are turbine, while (40%) 363 are piston. Despite the turbine 

fleet being larger, the replacement cost of turbine helicopters 

is worth 97% of the market share. 48% of the turbine fleet is 

clustered in coastal provinces, including, Guangdong, Shanghai 

and Shandong. Nearly half of piston helicopters are used for 

training, with Guangdong and Sichuan provinces being the 

main operating base for this aircraft type. 

• As of June 2017, there were 345 CAAC-approved GA 

enterprises. In 2016, several operators received subsidies 

from the government. The five operators to receive the largest 

amount of subsidies included: CITIC Offshore Helicopter 

Company (COHC), Beidahuang GA, China Flying Dragon GA, 

Xinjiang GA, and Shandong GA. 

• The largest turboprop and piston fleet operators, excluding 

flight schools are: Beidahuang GA (87), AVIC GA (40), China 

Flying Dragon GA (39) and Xinjiang GA (36). 

• The largest helicopter operators are: COHC (68), China Flying 

Dragon GA (30), Shanghai Kingwing GA (26), State Grid GA (24) 

and Southern GA (22). 

• To meet the growing demand of expanding fleets, both in 

commercial and GA, the number of Part 141 training schools 

within China has increased from 12 in 2012 to 22 in 2017. 

To capture the demand of Chinese pilots, training schools 

outside of China that meet the CAAC Part 141 requirement has 

increased from 23 in 2012 to 27 in 2016. Currently, the number 

of registered student pilots is 4,853. 

• 311 GA airports cater to the growing fleet, compared to the 

2,564 GA airports in the US. China has plans through the 13th 

Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) to increase the number of GA 

airports to 500. By 2030, 2,000 airports are expected to be built, 

with an ambitious target of having at least one GA airport in 

each of the 2,800 counties. 

• As of June 2017, there were 224 operational commercial 

service airports in China. China’s total commercial passenger 

traffic reached 1.016 billion, with an expectation of reaching 1.5 

billion by 2020. Commercial passenger traffic concentrates on 

hub airports, with 21 of the top airports accounting for 70% of 

the country’s traffic. 


NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS 



OVERVIEW 

Number of GA Fleet 1 : 

Number of GA Airports 2 : 

Number of GA Operators 3 : 

2,776 

311 

380 

Note: This report includes data as of June 30, 2017, and includes Mainland China only. 

1. Includes all China and non-China registered GA aircraft operating in Mainland China. 

2. Excludes helicopter landing spots and helipads. 

3. This number is based on all enterprises and organizations operating GA aircraft in Mainland China. 

84 

78 

11 

XINJIANG 

2 

0 

1 

TIBET 

Number of 

GA Fleet 

Number of 

GA Airports 

Number of 

GA Operators

207 

71 

13 

HEILONGJIANG 

18 

3 

5 

302 

9 

53 

JILIN 

BEIJING 

85 

19 

14 

12 

1 

GANSU 

4 

61 10 9 

INNER MONGOLIA 

7 

2 

3 

41 

3 

121 6 19 

HEBEI 

9 

94 3 8 

TIANJIN 

186 

10 

LIAONING 

20 

9 

0 

4 

NINGXIA 

SHANXI 

SHANDONG 

QINGHAI 

125 

9 

17 

84 

4 

20 

83 

9 

21 

SHAANXI 

HENAN 

JIANGSU 

137 

6 

18 

312 9 15 32 2 7 

175 

7 

18 

13 

2 

4 

SHANGHAI 

SICHUAN 

CHONGQING 

HUBEI 

ANHUI 

59 

8 

12 

39 

3 

10 

15 

9 

4 

ZHEJIANG 

15 

0 

7 

HUNAN 

JIANGXI 

9 

4 

3 

41 

6 

11 

GUIZHOU 

319 

12 

29 

FUJIAN 

YUNNAN 

16 3 7 

GUANGXI 

GUANGDONG 

35 

3 

4 

HAINAN 

Note: The operating base of GA aircraft is based on the location of its operator. Some business jets that 

are managed by Hong Kong or Taiwan companies are not included in the map. 



GA Development Key Statistics - China vs USA 

CHINA 

1,379 

11.2 

GDP 

(USD Trillions) 

2,595 GA Fleet 

GA Flight Hours 

9.56 765 (Thousands) 23,300 

SURFACE AREA 

(sqkm millions) 2,524 GA Pilots 38,980 

305 GA Airports 

Population 

(Millions) 323 

18.6 

203,425 

2,564 

USA 

9.83 

SURFACE AREA 

(sqkm millions) 

Data Source: World Bank, GAMA, China Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Report 2016, the FAA’s NPIAS 2017-2021 Report and ASG Data; 

the US airport data is based on GA airports that are available for public use only. 

China’s GA industry is taking off. According to the 

Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC), GA aircraft 

have experienced an annual growth of over 10% 

since 2010, and the growth exceeded 20% in 2013. Despite a 

slower expansion into GA enterprises, the industry still saw an 

approximately 15% increase in 2016. GA airports and industrial 

zones are rapidly growing, and in recent years, the industry is 

experiencing a fast change. 

With a vast territory, diversified land structure and large 

population, China embodies tremendous GA market potential, 

particularly when the economy has been boosted by economic 

reform. While the US has developed its GA industry since the 

1970s; in contrast, China’s GA started to develop —relatively 

late— in the 2000s. Despite the delay, China is an up-andcoming 

market, with a strategic target of catching up with the 

China GA Fleet by Aircraft Type 

Rotary-Wing 903 (33%) 

66+32+2+G 

2,776 

Hot Air Balloon/Airship 65 (2%) 

Fixed-Wing 1,808 (65%) 

flourishing international GA market. Statistically, China falls 

greatly behind the US, in terms of GA fleet size, mission flight 

hours, pilot number, and GA airport quantity. As of year end 2016, 

there were 2,595 B-Reg aircraft in the China GA fleet, only 1.2% of 

the US’ aircraft number. Thus, there is much potential for China 

GA expansion. 

The country pays an increasing amount of attention to the GA 

industry, and the government leads this development by issuing 

a number of GA-related policies, such as procedural simplification 

and regulation relaxation. More resources are, as well, put into 

infrastructure construction. For the first time in the 13th Five- 

Year Plan (2016-2020), GA is no longer under the category of 

civil aviation and now regarded as an independent industry. The 

market is now in a parallel position with civil aviation, railway and 

highways in the country. Under the current Five-Year Plan, by 

2020, there will be more than 500 GA airports, 5,000 GA aircraft 

and two million flight hours, with the industry worth over RMB 1T 

(approximately US$150B). 

65% of the country’s GA fleet is fixed-wing aircraft; 68% of which 

is piston, with mission involvement mainly in flight training and 

agriculture. Rotary-wing aircraft occupies 33% of the overall fleet, 

with mainly turbine (57%) and piston (40%) aircraft. A small portion 

of the fleet (2%) is airship and hot air balloon, which are mainly 

utilized in advertisement, performance, and pleasure flights. 

The country’s GA operation concentrates on governmentinstructional 

GA mission, for instance, industrial, agricultural, 

forestry, meteorological investigation and marine monitoring. 

Business-based flights, such as pipeline and powerline patrol, and 

Note: Data as of June 30, 2017 



GA Aircraft Fleet - China vs USA 

China GA Fleet 

US GA Fleet 

China Growth Rate 

US Growth Rate 

1,000,000 

30% 

231,607 228,663 223,877 223,370 216,202 209,034 199,927 204,408 210,030 203,425 

100,000 

20% 

10,000 

10% 

987 

903 

1,654 

1,975 

2,235 2,595 

780 

1,010 1,154 

1,342 

1,000 0% 

100 -10% 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 

Data Source: GAMA and China Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Report 2016 

offshore oil service, make up another core flight mission in the GA 

industry. Consumption-nature flights — e.g. sports flying, pleasure 

flight, and commuting service— are still at an early stage of 

operation. With negative shock by government regulation, business 

jet operation has historically underperformed. 

According to the GAMA, in 2015, 31% of the US GA flight hours 

are related to personal and pleasure flight, making up 67% of the 

overall GA fleet. In 2016, China saw its first negative growth in 

total GA mission hours, despite rapid expansion in fleet size and 

enterprises. This indicated the market supply growth outpaced 

that of the demand, which has an untapped potential. 

Meanwhile, China GA experiences heavy reliance on imported 

aircraft. For example, there are 38 helicopters manufactured 

by AVIC’s Changhe and Harbin Aviation, accounting for only 7% 

of the total rotary-wing fleet. The remaining fleet is composed 

of imported aircraft, or domestic-assembled aircraft with 

imported parts. On the fixed-wing side, AVIC’s Y5 and Y12 are 

the key players in domestic-manufactured aircraft, occupying the 

turboprop and piston markets with a notable share amount. Some 

foreign aircraft OEMs, such as the Austrian Diamond aircraft, shift 

part of their production to China through cooperation with local 

enterprises. Overall, there is still a disparity between foreign and 

local manufactured aircraft. 

GA Flight Hours - China vs USA 

China Flight Hours (Thousands) 

US Flight Hours (Thousands) 

China Growth Rate 

US Growth Rate 

25,600 

12,800 

6,400 

3,200 

1,600 

800 

400 

200 

27,852 26,009 23,763 24,802 24,603 24,403 22,876 23,271 24,142 23,300 

261 273 

330 368 

503 517 591 

678 779 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 

765 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

-10% 

-20% 

Data Source: GAMA and China Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Report 2016 

2017 CHINA GA REPORT 

| 9



GENERAL AVIATION IN CHINA 

The heavily-controlled and highly-regulated GA industry in 

China is now entering a new phase. it hopes to grow the 

market, incite economic growth, and keep up with more 

developed nations. With the government’s acceptance and 

understanding toward the industry comes the loosening of 

restrictions and proactive initiatives, working toward promoting 

general aviation in China. 

In 2016, the Chinese Government unveiled the 13th Five- 

Year Plan (2016-2020), which includes the country’s major 

objectives for economic and social development. A key focus 

is on the country’s infrastructure, as well as a strong emphasis 

on aviation development. Consisting of six major points, the 

plan targets safety, economic contribution, service level, an 

efficient airport network, the promotion of general aviation and 

green development. 

Part of this development is the opening of airspace below 

3,000m, up from 1,000m, as well as simplifying and reducing 

the application time; a move beneficial to most general 

aviation aircraft. 

General aviation aircraft are typically defined as non-military 

and non-commercial aircraft (including those transporting 

cargo and scheduled flights carrying passengers.) Within 

China, general aviation segments include industrial operations, 

agriculture, flight training, medical evacuation (medevac), 

natural disaster operations, business aviation, short-distance 

transport, private flying and tourism. 

To fully understand the status of China’s GA industry, a 

comparison to the developed US market is appropriate. The US 

is home to approximately 2,564 GA airports by FAA standards; 

in contrary, China only has 74 CAAC approved airports. The 

number of GA airports serves as an indicator of the industry’s 

infrastructure development. Infrastructure and aircraft number 

are highly correlated, in the way that advanced infrastructure 

attracts acquisition of aircraft. 

There are more than 200,000 GA aircraft in the US, whereas, 

China has around 2,770. 

In terms of total flying hours, the US has around 24 million total 

GA flying hours, which is triple that of China’s; an indicator that 

usage and support facilities are much more common in the US. 

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts the 

number of air travelers to double from 3.8 billion in 2016 to 7.2 

billion passengers in 2035, with the Asia-Pacific region confirmed 

as the biggest driver of demand and China replacing the US as 

the world’s largest commercial aviation market around 2024. 

At the end of 2016, China was home to 218 commercial service 

airports. Beijing Capital International Airport is the largest airport 

in China, serving approximately 94.4M passengers in 2016 

— surpassing the airport’s annual passenger traffic capacity. 

Shanghai Pudong Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International 

Airport follow, both of which also exceed passenger traffic 

capacity. 

To serve this rapidly-expanding fleet is no easy feat, requiring 

help from all angles. The government and private companies 

are particularly interested in Beijing. Beijing Daxing International 

Airport is in the building stages and set to cater to increasing 

traffic in the area. Expected to serve Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, 

the airport — to be completed in 2019 — will free up capacity at 

current airports and provide considerable support to the industry. 

Currently, there are approximately 311 general aviation airports in 

China and about 558 airports in the planning stages, exceeding 

the State Council’s plans for 500 general aviation airports. The 

decision to build airports is now being moved from the Central 

Government to that of the Provincial Governments. 

General aviation airports in provinces across the country are 

expected to be finished in the next few years. The new airports 



will act as not only a form of connectivity to outside cities, but an 

economic booster. 

Longchuan General Airport in Dehong is among those nowbeing 

built and among 50 planned general aviation airports in the 

Yunnan province. Upon completion of the airport, “Dehong aims 

to boost development in manufacturing, repairing, professional 

training and other related industries, promoting achievement in 

the industrial chain of general aviation.” 

In addition to GA airports, the government has positioned itself 

to build a more extensive helicopter infrastructure network, 

consisting of more helipads and landing spots. According to the 

China Emergency Rescue Promotion Center, the goal is to build 

850 helipads and over 1,400 landing spots across the country. 

costly. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) further 

attributes the shortage to a “high cost of pilot license, entry-level 

low wages, reduced career interest, more stringent regulations 

and a shortage of qualified instructors.” 

The ICAO has called upon the region to “be prepared for the future 

challenges higher volumes will create; this includes upgrades of 

air control systems, improvement of airport infrastructure and 

harmonization of pilot training, according to the international 

standards, with a high focus on aviation English.” 

Not only does the entire industry — commercial and general — 

face this shortage, but general aviation additionally faces a sort 

of competition with commercial airlines, which often offers more 

attractive incentives to pilots. 

PERSONNEL SHORTAGE 

Growing fleets and increased passenger traffic levels require 

manpower. According to Boeing’s 2016 Pilot and Technician 

Outlook, “Over the next 20 years, the Asia-Pacific region will lead 

the worldwide growth in demand for pilots, with a requirement 

for 248,000 new pilots.” Leading the region in this demand is 

China, requiring 111,000 commercial pilots. 

“Overall global fleet growth, along with the increasing trend 

for operators to outsource maintenance, repair, and overhaul 

activities to third party providers, will drive and increase the need 

for qualified technicians,” explains the report. The Asia-Pacific 

region will require 268,000 new technical personnel over the next 

20 years, with China requiring 119,000 technicians. 

The need for cabin crew will continue to soar, as well, with flight 

routes continuing to expand and airlines growing their fleets. 

The Asia-Pacific region will again require the highest number – 

298,000 cabin crew within the next 20 years. The projections 

come as the number of passenger traffic is expected to increase. 

The Asia-Pacific region — and specifically China — is the 

hardest hit when it comes to this shortage. Unlike many Western 

countries, opportunities to join the industry are limited and 

ECONOMIC GROWTH 

The development of GA in China will undoubtedly act as an 

economic booster to and the country. The Chinese State Council 

estimates the industry will be worth over RMB 1T (approximately 

US$150B) in the coming years. 

As the country moves to develop airports and more aircraft, the 

industry will need to be supported by a solid workforce. Jobs will 

subsequently be created within and outside of the GA industry 

including pilots and training, manufacturing and surrounding airport 

services. The local GDP of provinces will, therefore, likely increase. 

To further incentivize citizens and companies within general aviation, 

government subsidies are offered to China-based GA operators, as 

well as Chinese manufacturers, to improve the production of local 

aircraft. 

In larger provinces, including Tianjin and Beijing, economic zones 

have been introduced. Such is the case of the Tianjin Airport 

Economic Zone, which falls within the Tianjin Free-Trade Zone. The 

airport zone offers development of aerospace along with many 

other industries such as food production and manufacturing, and 

additionally offers incentives to businesses within the zone, to boost 

economic activity and encourage businesses to move to the area. 



With limited capability to produce aircraft domestically, 

China relies heavily on imported aircraft to support 

its GA expansion. Nonetheless, prior to 2016, China 

still imposed a tax on imported aircraft to protect the local 

aircraft manufacturing industry. The discriminatory tax was 

eliminated in late 2016, after being challenged by the Obama 

Administration. Now embracing a more open and developed 

GA industry, the Chinese government is implementing 

regulations and policies aimed at allowing the industry to takeoff 

and catch up with developed markets. 

In the past, the industry’s development in China has been greatly 

affected by the CAAC’s procedural regulations. Simplifying the 

procedures and loosening the regulation on owner-use (noncommercial) 

aircraft registration, operation permit application 

and airport infrastructure approval are all moves in the right 

direction. In December 2013, the approval requirement for most 

GA flights was relaxed, and the waving of approval on imported 

and non-commercial use GA aircraft in March 2017 has pushed 

the GA industry a step further. 

In addition to loosening application and approval requirements, 

the government is also focusing on improving safety. Aiming to 

improve the GA maintenance support service, safety inspections 

and investigation, is the establishment of more service centers 

and a comprehensive safety supervision system. Expanding the 

coverage of automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) 

is an important element of safety assurance, in order to meet the 

target of reducing the accident rate to less than 0.09% by 2020. 

Setting up automatic flight service stations in GA active zones 

with an expanded information sharing platform, such as weather 

updates, will also improve the information system within the GA 

industry, as well. 

With an overall operating scale of only one-third the size of Brazil 

and Mexico, and one-sixth the size of South Africa, significant 

additional infrastructure is needed in China. The government 

has announced an aggressive expansion: by 2020, 300 new 

GA airports will be constructed. To meet the target efficiently, 

provincial governments have taken responsibility of issuing 

GA airport approvals. This transfer of power from the central 

government to provincial governments has attracted investors. 

Additionally, to boost the number of GA companies to a total of 

300, the government has loosened the aircraft requirement for 

GA companies. Owning or leasing two GA aircraft now satisfies 

the aircraft requirement for setting up a GA firm; a relatively lower 

barrier than the previous requirement of owning two aircraft. 

Number of GA Policies 2016-2017 

Corporation (7%) 

Infrastructure (10%) 

Procedure/ 

Qualification (15%) 

Aircraft Operation (18%) 

44+18+15+10+7+6+G 

Safety (6%) Industry Development (44%) 

68 

Number of GA Policies 2012-2017 

35 

33 

13 

9 

7 

2012 2013 

4 

2014 2015 2016 2017* 

Note: For the period from January through June 2017 



List of Policies 2016 

Date Policy Details 

JAN 14 

Regulation on Light Unmanned Civil 

Aircraft Operation (Temporary) 

• Requires staff who carry out forestry-protection operations and work at a flying 

altitude of 15m or above, to obtain qualification 

• Increases the required operator-viewing-distance for unmanned forestry-protection 

aircraft from 300m to 500m 

JAN 27 

Amendment on “China Civil Aviation 

ADS-B Implementation Plan” 

• By 2017, implementation of ADS-B surveillance system in core GA districts 

• By 2020, full implementation of ADS-B surveillance system 

MAR 3 

Key Missions for Economic 

Reformation in 2016 

Innovates GA operation and monitoring modes, and publishing pro-GA 

development policies 

MAR 8 

Published “13th Five-Year Plan: General 

Aviation Development” 

By 2020: 

• 500 or more GA airports to be built 

• GA aircraft quantity to reach 5,000 

• Total annual mission flight hours to reach 2 million or above 

• GA industry operation scale with 1 trillion RMB (US$150B) investment 

MAR 16 

Policy Simplification and Release of 

Power in General Aviation Industry 

• Reduces the number of authorization-required projects 

• Simplifies examination procedures 

MAR 24 

Provisions on the Administration of 

Business Licensing for General Aviation 

Since June 1, 2016, lower barrier for GA company establishment: 

• Waives approval on construction preparation 

• Reduces aircraft requirement from ownership of two aircraft to at least leasing two aircraft 

• Removes the limit of private capital on aircraft purchase 

• Allows GA enterprise to share landing locations with other types of aircraft 

APR 1 

Simplification in “General Aviation 

Special Mission Flight Application” 

CAAC simplifying the application for special GA mission flight: 

• Reduces application materials to 2 items, from 11 items 

• Shortens approval processing time with higher levels of transparency and efficiency 

APR 13 

Completion of the Examination for 

“Helicopter Power Patrol Safety Guide” 

Since April 1, the power mission is broken down into categories, such as on request GA 

flight , hoisting and building construction, and patrol. 

APR 26 

Action Plan for Consumption-Driven 

Industrial Transformation and Upgrades 

Implements “10 expense-expanding activities”, for example: 

• Facilitating GA-airport construction through funding 

• Encouraging organizations of sightseeing events, aero competition and aero-cultural 

exchange 

• Supporting development of aero clubs 

MAY 4 

Proposal on Facilitating General 

Aviation Industry 

• Facilitates the construction of GA airports in transportation- deficit areas, natural 

disaster-active zones and densely-populated districts 

• Accelerates the R&D on GA aircraft and navigating system 

• Expands the usage of environmental monitoring, transportation and resources exploration 

• Opens up low-altitude airspace gradually, with strengthened safety inspection 

MAY 13 

Notice on Reformation and Upgrade of 

Manufacturing Industry 

Implements 10 major constructions, with a target is promoting domestically produced 

aircraft (such as Y-12, AG 600), engines, etc. 

MAY 17 

Opinions on Promoting the 

Development of General Aviation 

Industry 

For sustainable GA development, the followings is proposed: 

• Fostering GA market 

• Accelerating construction of GA airports 

• Facilitating the transformation and upgrade of GA businesses 

• Opening up low-altitude airspace 

• Setting up more comprehensive safety measure 




MAY 25 

Opinions on Further Deepening of Civil 

Aviation Reform 

Carries out large-scale construction within a three-year period (2016-2018), with target 

on achieving improvements in: 

• Regional and advance GA aircraft competency 

• Civil aircraft industrialization 

• Navigation base station including upgrades and innovation 

• Commercial aero-product development 

• Supporting system and platform for satellite application 

JUN 2 

Consultation Notice-Interim Provision 

on the Administration of Operators in 

the Civilian Unmanned Aircraft System 

Sets up systems regarding unmanned aircraft: 

• Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) 

• Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS) 

• Instructional materials 

JUN 6 

Improvement Plan for Transportation 

Quality & Efficiency, and Service Supply 

Capability 

Releases the plan of constructing 30 to 50 comprehensive GA bases and have 500 GA 

airports by 2020 

JUN 16 

Instructions on Facilitating General 

Aviation Development 

Completes implementation of indicated plans in “Instructions on Facilitating General 

Aviation Development” 

JUL 20 

Confirmation of the Content in 

“Provisions on the Administration of 

Business Licensing for General Aviation” 

Clarifies content, for example: 

• For the “Main body of GA operation should be a business entity” clause, permit holder is 

required to be a business entity; while applicant does not. 

• For “Supervisor’s major business has to be GA operation” clause, major business is 

referred to as a business that is fulfilling the operation target 

AUG 8 

Amendment Consultation: Civil Aviation 

Law of the People’s Republic of China 

AVIC Proposed Military-Civil Integration 

Clarifies the aircraft registration holders are required to be Chinese citizens and the 

distinction between civil service airport and GA airport 

AVIC sets up a GA industry Office at its headquarter. 

AUG 17 

Consultation Notice: Air Tour 

(Sightseeing) 

Proposes requirements for pre-flight preparation, crew, aircraft worthiness, operating 

location selection and specifying the special flying districts 

AUG 24 日 

Consultation Notice: Hot Air Balloon 

Operation Guide 

Clarifies: 

• Pilot qualification requirement 

• Aircraft worthiness requirement 

• Landing and take-off requirement 

• Minimum safety altitude 

• Densely-populated district flights 

• Passenger safety notice 

AUG 30 日 

Notice on Effectively Doing the Related 

Work of Government and Social Capital 

Cooperation in Traditional Infrastructure 

Clearly states the project highlights of the seven largest fields, including energy resources, 

transportation, water conservancy, environmental protection, agriculture, forestry, and 

urban construction 

SEP 14 日 

General Aviation Development 

Discussion between Ministry of 

Transport’s Assistant Director and 

CAAC’s Director 

Three key missions: 

• Launching GA flight testing points for the exploration of a more efficient GA air traffic 

development 

• Expanding GA community service coverage: Facilitating construction of emergency 

rescue system, opening “Green Channel” for emergency service, establishing GA airports 

in disaster-active zones and encouraging government to purchase GA services 

• Encouraging the development of “GA+ Internet” and “GA+ Creative Economy” 




SEP 21 日 


Operators in the Civilian Unmanned 

Aircraft System 

“Air Traffic Operation Guide for Civil Unmanned Aircraft System” is published; the previous 

policy released in 2009 is abolished. 

NOV 3 

Incentive Plan for Social Capital 

on Investment, Construction and 

Operation of Civil Airport 

• Frees commercial service airport infrastructure and operator market 

• Establishes new commercial service airport design, and operation financing and 

investment method 

• Removes limit towards investment body 

• Intensifies the relationships between government and social capital 

NOV 7 

Notice on Effectively Doing the Related 

Work of General Aviation Promotion 

• Forms a short-haul transportation network with GA airports and commercial service airports 

• Develops low-altitude tourist services and travel routes, creating a low-altitude tourist 

circuit 

• Integrates local tourist resources and developing diversified aero-sports products. 

NOV 8 

Development Plan for Aero-Sports 

Developing aero-activity is: 

• Important matter for developing airspace resources and low-altitude economy 

• Significant segment for developing military-civil integration 

NOV 14 

Key Missions for Recent Promotion on 

General Aviation Industry Development 

Adjusts the low-altitude airspace from originally 1,000 m to 3,000 m 

NOV 25 

Development Plan for Aero-Sports 

• Promotes flying-base infrastructure in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, Yangtze River Delta 

and Pearl River Delta 

• Forms a “200-km aero-activity flying circle” in the above regions 

NOV 28 

Reformation-Promoting Plan for 

Civil Aviation Airspace Control 

& Enhancement Plan for GA 

Technological Support 

The target of solidifies the reformation of airspace management to build five systems: 

• Sustainable supporting system for resources 

• Operation system with high service quality 

• Business administration system that matches the civil aviation development 

• Better strategic development plan to serve the country 

• GA service system that corresponds to the development progress 

DEC 1 

Conference: Promoting the 

Development of China’s General 

Aviation 

Conference content includes: 

• Suggestion on having a user-oriented centre, to strengthen central-local cooperation 

and military-civil integration 

• Testing point selection regarding districts, stages of development and business models 

DEC 9 

Construction of One - Hour Air 

Traffic Circle 

There will be over 20 type A and B GA airports in Zhejiang province. Every above-countylevel 

city will have at least one commercial service or type A GA airport. Coverage incudes 

significant islands. 

DEC 12 

Newly Built General Aviation Airport: 

Approved by Provincial Government 

Instead of being examined by the state government, GA airport projects and military-civil 

airport expansion now require approvals from provincial government only. 

DEC 19 

13th Five-Year Plan: National Strategic 

Emerging Industry Plan 

• Exploits aircraft leasing market 

• Establishes an advanced aero-operating system through internet technology 

• Intensifies pilot training 

DEC 27 

General Aviation Service Capability and 

Civil Aviation Service Quality 

Starting from April 1, this policy breaks down the mission classification into seven 

categories, including: 

• General request 

• Search and inspection 

• Hoisting 



List of Policies 2017 


JAN 2 

Helicopter Power Mission Safety Guide 

Starting from April 1, this policy breaks down the mission classification into seven 

categories, for example general request, search and inspection, and hoisting 

JAN 4 

Construction of General Aviation 

Industry Demonstrating Districts 

26 cities participate as preliminary testing cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shenzhen and 

Zhuhai. 

JAN 6 

2017 Budget Plan for General 

Aviation Special Project 

With a subsidy of over 300 million RMB (US$45M) in 136 GA companies regarding operations 

and permits, the top 10 enterprises’ subsidies account for 51% of the total amount. 

JAN 13 

Instructions for Civil Aircraft Pilot 

Training School Qualification 

Collection of Comments on Self- 

Modified Aircraft Permit, Limited- 

Access Aircraft Airworthiness 

Certificate and Management Structure 

Pilots who acquire their qualifications before April 1 still have valid until the permits or 

training school certificate expires. 

Flight enthusiasts are encouraged to modify aircraft to satisfy personal entertainment 

needs. Special permits will be granted if aircraft modification is qualified under Part CCAR- 

21-21.212. 

JAN 19 

Consultation: Water Aerodrome Technical 

Requirement (Trial Operation) 

There are 10 sections, such as terminology, seadrome information and site selection, 

water-based facilities, facilities near the coast line, and firefighting facilities. 

FEB 8 

Development Plan on Improving GA 

Service Capability 

Indicates the major target and mission of GA development in the coming five years: 

• Establishing an independent regulatory system, corresponding to the GA development 

• Unifying the examination process for GA operation and management permit 

• Simplifying or canceling the filing process for aircraft introduction 

• Implementing an online system for GA operation application, acceptance and authorization 

• Developing GA market and encouraging flight training services 

• Simplifying the management of non-commercial GA registration 

FEB 16 

Issued 13th Five-Year Plan: General 

Aviation Development 

13th Five-Year Plan is released with target of increasing GA airports, aircraft, total flight 

hours and industry investment. 

FEB 18 

Consultation: CCAR Part 141 

Pilot Training School Examination 

Process 

Provides a standard process for CCAR-Part 141 pilot training school, regarding certification 

examination. Certification applicants and regional civil aviation administration bureaus are 

required to follow this process. 

FEB 24 

Consultation: Technical 

Requirement and Inspection for Civil 

Heliport Illuminant Lamp 

States technical requirements, for example: 

• Working environment temperature: -40 ~55 

• For strong constant lights, all-dimensional white lights should be used 

• Foldable lighting equipment, with low-position installation 

FEB 27 

Amendment: Rules for the 

Administration of Medical Certificates 

for Civil Aviation Personnel 

Three amendments were made, with an effective date of April 1st, 2017. 

MAR 8 

Cancellation of Filing Procedure on 

Imported GA Aircraft 

No filing procedures are required for personal or corporate use GA aircraft and 

business jet. 

MAR 10 

MAR 18 

Video Call Conference Regarding 

General Aviation Safety Measures 

CAAC starts the Use of General Aviation 

Testing Points 

Confirmation of policy implementation, including: 

• Strict responsibility-tracing system, regarding production safety 

• Categorization on commercial and non-commercial operations, and a more relaxed 

regulation on personal use aircraft 

• Simplification on application examination 

• Online application for flight plan 

CAAC starts operating GA testing points in Eastern, North-Western China, and Xinjiang. 




MAR 21 

Consultation: Provision on Civil Aircraft 

Flight Operator Certification Examination 

Amendments on clause 52 of “Civil Aircraft Pilot, Flight Communicator and Flight 

Machinist Qualification Certification”, released by CAAC on Aug 1, 1996. 

APR 14 

Administrative Measures for the 

Categorization of General Airports 

Categorizes the GA airports into two types, according to the openness to public: 

• Type A: open to public; public flight services and own flight activities can be carried out 

-Type A airport is further broken down into 3 sub-types, based on its impacts on public 

• Type B: non-open to public 

APR 18 

Consultation: Rule for Aviation Safety 

and Security of General Aviation 

• Sets risk management and threat assessment as a foundation, GA flight activities will be 

managed with respect to classes and categories. 

• Regarding GA safety and security, CAAC gives monitoring and management instructions 

APR 25 

Supplementary Notice: Provision on 

Foreign Investment in Civil Aviation 

Starting from May 1, 2017; 

• Loosening regulations of Chinese-holding GA maintenance projects 

• Accepting foreign capital as a form of joint-venture investment 

MAY 2 

13th Five-Year Plan: Regulation on 

Technological Innovation Special 

Projects in Transportation Sector 

Development focuses on: 

• Developing technology of building GA aircraft with new configuration and using new 

energy resources 

• Timely and ordinally opening up low-altitude airspace 

MAY 9 

Amendment Consultation: Regulation 

on the Control of General-Purpose 

Aviation Flight 

In order to facilitate the GA development, flight activities are regulated under safety 

measures. A policy is therefore imposed, with a consultation period until May 20, 2016. 

MAY 24 

Amendment Consultation: Provision on 

Civil Aircraft Maintenance Staff License 

• Groups the qualification for civil aircraft parts maintenance consultation under civil 

aircraft maintenance qualification, with cancellation of the original independent 

qualification in CAAR-Part 66R2 

• Deadline for feedback collection: June 23, 2016 

MAY 26 

MAY 31 

General Aviation Development Seminar 

in Beijing 

Consultation Notice: Amendment on 


Business Licensing for General Aviation 

• Indicates that a country with developed civil aviaton should encompass eight basic 

characteristics, such as international and popular aviation market, large-scale aviation 

enterprises with international competitiveness and an efficient and safe air traffic 

management system 

• Indicates the factors impacting the GA development, such as insufficient airspace 

resources, incapable ground supporting system and shortage in labour resources 

Amended content includes: 

• Long-term validity for GA operation approval 

• Dividing GA operation into four categories 

• Staff with poor management in civil aviation safety will be black-listed and will not be 

appointed as senior management staff in GA industry 

JUN 7 

Regulatory Handbook for General 

Aviation Market 

• Clarifies the duty and responsibility of staff at each management grade in civil aviation 

• Streamlines the permit administration and monitoring process 

• Starting date: Oct 1, with handbook uploading onto phone application 

JUN 12 

Consultation: Instruction on CCAR 

Part141 Pilot Training School 

Management System 

Instructs CCAR-Part 141 pilot training school to establish Quality Management 

System(QMS) and Safety Management System (SMS) 

JUN 15 

Unmanned Aircraft System 

Construction Guide 

• Proposes facility requirements and details, and implementation methods for unmanned 

aircraft system 

• With characteristic such as complicated categorization, huge differences in technical 

structure, mass and volume , and wide application range, a framework for unmanned 

aircraft system is proposed from the management and technical perspectives 



China’s fixed-wing fleet currently stands at 1,808, including 330 business jets, 250 turboprop, and 1,228 

piston and electric aircraft, each accounting for 18%, 14%, and 68%, respectively. In terms of the fleet 

numbers by province, there are seven provinces with more than 100 aircraft: Sichuan, Beijing, Heilongjiang, 

Guangdong, Shandong, Hubei and Shaanxi. Sichuan province has the largest fleet among all provinces, with a total 

of 251; 227 of them are piston aircraft, representing 90% of the fleet. Beijing’s fleet is at 209, with almost half (53%) 

business jets. Heilongjiang comes third with 163 aircraft; piston aircraft represents 82% of them. 

Fixed-Wing Fleet by Province 

1,808 in Total 

Sichuan 

100+83+65+55+49+45+43+29+29+26+26+24+22+20+16+13+11+10+10+6+4+4+3+3+2+2+2+1 

251 

209 

163 

138 

124 

114 108 

74 73 

66 65 60 56 

51 

40 33 28 26 

25 

15 11 11 7 7 5 4 4 2 

Beijing 

Heilongjiang 

Guangdong 

Shandong 

Hubei 

Shaanxi 

Xinjiang 

Tianjin 

Liaoning 

Shanghai 

Hebei 

Jiangsu 

Inner Mongolia 

Henan 

Zhejiang 

Shanxi 

Hunan 

Hainan 

Jilin 

Jiangxi 

Yunnan 

Anhui 

Gansu 

Qinghai 

Guangxi 

Ningxia 

Guizhou 



China has a large land mass, and aircraft in different market 

segments that can be distributed in different parts of the country 

Fixed-Wing Fleet by Type 

depending on their purposes. Business jets operate primarily in 

economically-advanced regions such as Beijing (111), Guangdong 

(56) and Shanghai (43). The fleet of these three provinces together 

Turboprop 250 (14%) 

Piston/Electric Aircraft 

1,228 (68%) 

accounts for 62% of the total business jets in China. 

The distribution of turboprop aircraft is a different story. Turboprop 

aircraft have a complex mission type, such as agriculture, aerial 

surveying and photography, artificial rain, transportation, etc.; the Business Jet 

330 (18%) 

location is more spread out compared to that of business jets. 

Piston aircraft have a low acquisition price and operating cost, 

perfect for agriculture, fishery, training and recreational needs. 

Pistons with agricultural mission are often seen in Heilongjiang, 

Guangdong, Xinjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, and Hubei, in order 

of importance. Pistons for training can be found in Sichuan, Hubei, 

Shaanxi, Shandong, Tianjin and Beijing. 

68+18+14+G 

1,808 

1,808 in Total 

FLEET DISTRIBUTION BY PROVINCE 

Number of Business Jets 

Number of Piston and Electric Aircraft 

Number of Turboprop 

111 

88 

133 

30 

HEILONGJIANG 

13 

2 

10 

BEIJING 

52 

14 

JILIN 

60 

14 

XINJIANG 

7 


3 2 

QINGHAI 

227 

LIAONING 

52 

35 

105 

15 

18 

1 

9 12 9 

1 

INNER MONGOLIA SHANXI TIANJIN 

12 7 

48 

SHANDONG 

4 

2 

10 

NINGXIA 

HEBEI 

85 

30 22 

34 4 

JIANGSU 

7 

16 

6 


43 

SHAANXI 101 

16 

6 

SHANGHAI 

7 

2 

11 

ANHUI 

11 13 

HUBEI 

9 

7 17 

SICHUAN 

21 

2 3 

HUNAN 

10 

1 

JIANGXI 

ZHEJIANG 

5 3 3 

YUNNAN 

2 

GUIZHOU 

4 

GUANGXI 

56 49 

33 

GUANGDONG 

Note: The operating base of fixed-wing aircraft is based on the 

location of its operator. Some business jets managed by Hong 

Kong or Taiwan companies are not included in the list. 

16 9 

HAINAN 


| 19


BUSINESS JET MARKET 

Business Jet by OEM 

Boeing 10 (3%) 

Airbus 15 (5%) 

Embraer 26 (8%) 

Cessna 35 (11%) 

Dassault 36 (11%) 

Bombardier 88 (27%) 

32+27+11+11+8+5+3+3+G 

330 

Hawker 10 (3%) 

Gulfstream 110 (32%) 

Large business 

jets are the most 

favored in the 

China market, 

holding 38% of the 

market with 124 

aircraft. 

Business Jet by Size Category 

Very Light 15 (5%) Large 124 (38%) 

Light 24 (7%) 

Corp. Airliner 29 (9%) 

Mid-Size 35 (10%)38+30+11+9+7+5+G 

Long Range 103 (31%) 

330 

With the economy taking off, China’s business jet 

market has flourished to become home to the 

largest business jet fleet in the Asia-Pacific region. 

China’s business jet fleet makes up 18% of the country’s fixedwing 

market with 330 aircraft. 

Gulfstream is the leading manufacturer with the most 

aircraft. Gulfstream’s 110 aircraft represent 33% of the total 

fleet; followed by Bombardier and Dassault, with 88 aircraft 

(27%) and 36 aircraft (11%) respectively. Commercial airline 

manufacturers — Airbus and Boeing — seem to have less of 

an advantage in the country’s business jet market. There are 

15 Airbus corporate jets (5%) in China, while Boeing has an 

smaller market share, with 10 aircraft (3%) in the market. 

Business Jet by Registration 

Isle of Man 10 (3%) Others 8 (2%) 

Cayman Islands 11 (3%) 

United States 45 (14%) 

78+14+3+3+2+G 

330 

China 256 (78%) 

Choice of registration country is influenced by regulations: 

foreign-registered aircraft are bound by stricter restrictions. For 

example, some maintenance services are available to Chinaregistered 

jets only, which makes the China B registration 

preferred. Out of the entire fleet, 78% (256) are Chinaregistered, 

while US-registered jets account for 14% (45). In 

terms of registration country popularity, Cayman Islands and 

Isle of Man follow, having 11 and 10 China-operated aircraft 

registered under the two countries respectively. 

Large business jets are the most favored in the China market, 

holding 38% of the market with 124 aircraft. Long-range jets 

follows, with 103 aircraft (31%). Mid-size aircraft have a market 

share that is much lower than that of the large and long-range 

aircraft, it ranks third place with 11% (35). Combined, these 

three sizes represent almost 80% of the jet market. 



Despite the popularity of large aircraft, the long-range Gulfstream 

G550 has a leading share of 14%, with 46 aircraft. 40 G450s 

— large aircraft— take up 12% of the market. The long-range 

Dassault Falcon 7X ranks third with 27 aircraft (8%). Of all the 

G550s in the country, 23 (50%) are run by operators in Beijing; 

while Guangdong and Shanghai each has eight. Combined, these 

three cities hold 85% of the country’s G550 fleet. 

In general, the acquisition cost of a business jet is higher than 

other fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Jets, however, have a 

shorter life span, which contributes to jets having the youngest 

fleet among all GA aircraft types. A newly-delivered aircraft 

generally has an in-service period of 10 years, with owners often 

considering selling the existing model for a newer model. With 

benefits from economic reform and loosening of restrictions, 

the China business jet market has been open for around 20 

years, which further explains the country’s young fleet. In China, 

approximately 65% of the jets were manufactured during or 

after 2010. The 2013 manufacturing year produced the greatest 

number, with 49. 

place, with 56 aircraft (17%). Shanghai, an emerging international 

financial center in China, placed third with the operation of 43 

aircraft (13%). 

Mainland-based Deer Jet is currently the top operator in China, 

operating 50 aircraft. G450 and G550 still make up most of the 

company’s fleet, with respectively 12 and 18. Other models, such 

as the Falcon 7X, G650 and BBJ, constitute a small portion of 

the fleet. 

Shenzhen-headquartered Business Aviation Asia (BAA) set up 

branches in major cities, including Hong Kong and Shanghai with 

a 46-aircraft fleet. Models such as the Legacy 650, Global 6000 

50 

40 

Business Jet by Age 

With cost and age limitations, business jets are typically utilized in 

charter business, or non-commercial uses by companies in China. 

The distribution of jets, therefore, concentrates in first-tier cities, 

including Beijing, which is a business-jet hub. Along with being the 

top location for the G550, the province operates 111 jets, which 

represents 34% of the country’s fleet. Beijing builds its fleet scale 

by having the most Gulfstream and Bombardier aircraft in the 

country, with 41% and 33% of the respective fleet operating in the 

province. In terms of fleet size, Guangdong occupies the second 

30 

20 

10 

0 

1970 

1980 

1990 

2000 

Year of Manufacture 

2010 

2017 



and Challenger 604/605 make up part of the fleet, in addition to 

the eight G450s and Falcon 7X, and seven G550s, respectively. 

These two dominating operators hold almost one-third of China’s 

jet fleet. 

At airport hubs, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, 

business jets face insufficient parking, take-off and landing slots. 

Commercial airliners, are given privilege in slot arrangements. 

headquarters and high-net-worth individuals are mainly in these 

regions, which creates congestion at the airport. After recognizing 

the problem, Hebei province started to build the first business 

jet airport in the country in Sanhe city. In 2019, Beijing’s new 

airport will be built, combined with other airport expansions and 

constructions, the traffic tension will greatly be reduced. 

A newly-delivered 

aircraft generally 

has an in-service 

period of 10 years, 

with owners often 

considering selling 

the existing model 

for a newer model. 

OEM 

Model 

Fleet 

OEM 

Model 

Fleet 

Airbus A319ER 3 

Airbus ACJ318 5 



Boeing B787-8 1 

Boeing BBJ 9 

Bombardier Challenger 300 5 

Bombardier Challenger 604/605 15 

Bombardier Challenger 800/850 23 

Bombardier Challenger 870 12 

Bombardier CRJ100/200/VIP 7 

Bombardier Global 5000 5 

Bombardier Global 6000 11 

Bombardier Global Express 1 

Bombardier Global Express XRS 1 

Bombardier Learjet 35A/36A 5 

Bombardier Learjet 60/XR 3 

Cessna Citation 525 13 

Cessna Citation Excel/XLS/+ 12 

Cessna Citation II 2 

Cessna Citation Mustang 1 

Cessna Citation S/II 2 

Cessna Citation Sovereign 4 

Cessna Citation X 1 

Dassault Falcon 2000EX 2 

Dassault Falcon 2000LX 2 

Dassault Falcon 7X 27 

Dassault Falcon 900DX 1 

Dassault Falcon 900LX 4 

Embraer Legacy 500 1 

Embraer Legacy 650 17 

Embraer Lineage 1000 4 

Embraer Phenom 100 1 

Embraer Phenom 300 3 

Gulfstream G200 8 





Gulfstream G650ER 4 

Gulfstream G-IV 1 

Hawker Hawker 4000 1 

Hawker Hawker 400A 1 

Hawker Hawker 800XP 7 

Hawker Hawker 900XP 1 

TOTAL 330 


BRIDGING THE GAP OF 

COMMUNICATION 

INTERVIEW WITH ELAINE QIAN SIYIN, 

EXECUTIVE MANAGING EDITOR, GA CHINA MAGAZINE 

Interview by Litalia Yoakum 

Born into an aviation-minded family in Beijing, Elaine Qian Siyin is now the Executive 

Managing Editor of one of China’s most trusted general aviation publications — 

GA CHINA Magazine. Upon first glance Elaine doesn’t seem like your typical GA 

enthusiast. She has a spunky sense about herself and an interesting take on life, 

intertwined with a sense of adventure. But perhaps it’s that same sense that has 

led her to develop the bilingual, quarterly magazine into the well-known source of 

information it is today. 

After completing her studies through the University 

of Huddersfield in both the UK and Singapore, Elaine 

remained in the city-state where she worked for an 

events management company for three more years. Although 

she didn’t work in aviation at the time, she was still able to visit 

the Singapore Aviation Academy on a few occasions, where she 

admits the facilities amazed her. 

Still, the credit for Elaine’s curiosity of aviation stems from family. 

“I got to know the field when I was younger, through family 

members,” says Elaine. “Especially my dad, who is somewhat of a 

pioneer in this industry.” 

Elaine’s piqued interest led her back to China seven years ago. 

“This was also the time the GAindustry was really starting to 

pick up [2010] and at that time there wasn’t a lot of reporting or 

content on GA aviation.” 

Starting out as a writer for an internal GA publication for the 

Capital Research Institute for General Aviation (under the 

Department of Information), Elaine evolved — along with the 

publication, which would later become GA CHINA — into the 

leader of the magazine. 

Throughout those seven years, a lot has changed, admits Elaine: 

“When I came back seven years ago, the industry was just getting 

started and everyone was crazy about it; investors wanted to 

‘catch the train to success’. After the initial two to three years, 

there was a second stage where everyone realized the gap in the 

market between China and the other part of the world.” 


COMPANY PROFILE: GA CHINA MAGAZINE 

The industry 

pays attention to 

pilots, but we lack 

experienced pilots, 

flight instructors, 

and management 

level personnel. 

While the industry continues to evolve, so does Elaine. In doing so, 

she has had plenty of unique experiences of her own. There’s the 

time she interviewed the first test flight pilot for Bell Helicopter in 

China, who shared some of his crazy past stories; or the time her 

interview led to a newfound passion of skydiving. 

“I did an interview with representatives from a skydiving company 

in New Zealand,” explains Elaine. “I got to know the company, staff, 

its training process, and the operational aspect of it — all the way to 

the actual skydive.” Elaine, who has since skydived multiple times 

since her first jump, recalls the experience as “amazing”, enjoying 

the feeling of flying on her own. 

She went on to explain skydiving’s influence in China. Not needing 

to apply for all the applications as a typical aircraft, skydiving 

has become something many Chinese 

companies are now considering as an 

operational segment. 

The most memorable interview yet was 

one Elaine did about two years ago. “I 

was in London and was able to interview 

The Red Arrows from the UK’s Royal 

Air Force Aerobatic Team. Their level 

of professionalism and training was 

amazing,” says Elaine, who conducted a 

video interview, which was later posted 

online, as well as published in print. 

Elaine stressed the evolution of aviation culture, safety and 

communication during this time, which has contributed to 

the establishment of consulting companies and industry 

organizations offering the community necessary information. 

Since that time, the government has brought general aviation to 

the forefront of its agenda. Yet, the challenges remain. 

Since those interviews, Elaine has 

continued her adventurous spirit, 

traversing the globe at every chance 

she gets. Currently, she calls Auckland, 

New Zealand home, while she finishes up her Master’s of 

Management degree. The pursuit is her own effort to improve 

herself and her team. “GA is a demanding industry and there’s 

large volume of information and data to get through,” explains 

Elaine. “Seeing this, I understand that there’s so much for me 

to learn still. I have this obligation to the magazine, the industry 

and the team, to learn as much as I can.” 

“The industry has still not learned to communicate effectively,” 

explains Elaine. “There’s huge potential but market opportunities 

are on a small scale, so people are fighting for profit. Because of 

this, it’s really important to trade and provide relevant and solid 

information about the industry.” 

“Also, the lack of professional personnel is a significant issue. 

During this time, companies are being established fast. They are 

eager to build something up, but there is no focus on training. The 

industry pays attention to pilots, but we lack experienced pilots, 

flight instructors, and management level personnel.” 

Once the program is complete, Elaine will once again pack 

her bags — this time heading to Washington D.C., where she 

was nominated, by the US Embassy in Beijing, to complete an 

International Leadership Program. 

When back in China, Elaine is ready to continue taking on the 

industry and leading the magazine — at maximum speed. “We 

have some exciting things ahead for the magazine, and our 

readers are as curious as ever.” 

www.gafun.cn 


GA CHINA MAGAZINE 

Established at the end of 2013 as an internal industry 

publication for the Capital Research Institute of General 

Aviation in Beijing, GA CHINA Magazine (《中国通航博 

览》杂志 ) has since transformed into the first bilingual general 

aviation publication, acting as a go-to source of information and 

market data on the industry in China. The publication — published 

quarterly, in print and online — provides an understanding of the 

industry through interviews with key leaders — domestically and 

internationally, policy and regulation interpretation, a guide to 

purchasing aircraft and helicopters, model comparisons and the 

latest industry news. 

Not only does GA CHINA aim to promote the development of the 

industry in China, it also aims to build a bridge of communication 

between the country and other parts of the world. The 

communication comes in various forms: exhibitions, events, 

photography competitions and tours, including a series of GA 

Airport Tours that took place from 2015 to 2016. 

As the industry develops and the government works toward 

boosting it, interest has piqued. Readers are now drawn to 

insiders’ perspectives and overseas’ opportunities, as well 

as operations and management knowledge, particularly for 

helicopter operations, such as emergency medical services 

and scenic flight sectors, as well as sport aviation. Additionally, 

the audience has developed a relatively comprehensive 

understanding of the tremendous gaps and differences between 

markets in China and that of other parts of the world. Industry 

“know-hows” have also provided a chance for readers, particularly 

those in the GA industry, to gain a better understanding of all 

facets — management, technical and operational. 

To engage with the community, GA CHINA Magazine has several 

events coming up in 2017. Collaborating with the China Heli- 

Expo in Tianjin, the magazine held a Helicopter Safety and 

Operation Management Forum during the first few days of the 

show. The magazine’s aviation photography competition results 

was also included. “The Most Beautiful Moment” competition 

results were unveiled at the Heli-Expo. In November, GA China 

will host about 70 industry leaders at a Summit and subsequent 

party in Beijing, where attendees can exchange ideas in an 

informal, yet constructive, setting. 

Culminating in what will have proved to be an exciting and busy 

year for the magazine is its special year-end issue. Covering 

all key topics from 2017, the year-end issue will be packed 

with original content from the publication’s own reporters, as 

well as contributors from inside the industry — an uncommon 

occurrence for GA publications in China. 

In the coming years, as the industry develops, so will GA CHINA 

Magazine. As Chief Executive Editor Elaine Qian puts it: “A 

magazine (or media) should never stay where it is. It should 

always search and explore the unknown and discover the 

unspoken, while putting the knowledge into action.” And so, the 

magazine is. In addition to its regular round of quarterly issues, 

GA CHINA Magazine will launch its own aviation video show, 

which is now in production. The team also hopes to enhance 

its inaugural Helicopter Safety and Operation Management 

Forum into a renowned and recognizable brand that serves the 

country’s helicopter community. Enthusiasts living abroad can 

also expect to see GA CHINA’s English edition, in the near future. 

www.gafun.cn


TURBOPROP FIXED-WING MARKET 

Turboprop Fixed-Wing by OEM 

Piper 2 (1%) 

Piaggio 4 (2%) 

Pacific Aerospace 9 (4%) 

Quest Aircraft 19 (8%) 

Pilatus 22 (9%) 

Beechcraft 32 (13%) 

33+30+13+9+7+4+2+1+1+G 

250 

Viking Air 2 (1%) 

Cessna 84 (33%) 

AVIC 76 (30%) 

Adapted to local 

demand for 

different purposes, 

turboprop 

models differ 

from province to 

province. 

Turboprop Fixed-Wing by 

Size Category 

Twin 108 (43%) 

54+43+3+G 

Airliner 7 (3%) Single 135 (54%) 

250 

Turboprop Fixed-Wing by Mission 

EMS 4 (2%) 

Training 17 (7%) 

Charter/Air Taxi 24 (9%) 

Aero-Survey 

27 (10%) 

Agriculture 27 (11%) 

43+14+12+10+9+7+2+2+1+G 

250 

Aero-Sport 4 (2%) 

Others 3 (1%) 

Multi-Mission 

108 (43%) 

Sightseeing/Air Tour 

36 (14%) 

To maximize the economic benefit general aviation 

can bring to China, the connection between remote, 

second and third tier cities must expand — a 

viable option with turboprops, which fill the gap between 

business jets and helicopters in the general aviation market. 

Turboprop aircraft have the advantage of lower acquisition 

and operating costs than business jets, as well as faster 

speed and longer range than helicopters. 

In China, there are 250 turboprop aircraft, accounting 

for 14% of the total fixed-wing fleet. The multi-function 

aircraft is distributed evenly across the country. Major 

turboprop fleet provinces are Guangdong (13%), 

Heilongjiang (12%), Jiangsu (9%), Zhejiang (7%), Shaanxi 

(6%), Xinjiang (6%) and Inner Mongolia (6%). 

Adapted to local demand for different purposes, turboprop 

models differ from province to province. The Cessna 208 

accounts for 64% of the Guangdong fleet due to its flexibility 

in configuration for different usage: agriculture, charter, 

science and sightseeing. It is often used as sea plane 

for transportation and sightseeing in China. The fleet in 

Heilongjiang, on the other hand, is specialized in agriculture 

and aero-survey with 70% of the fleet consisting of the Y-12. 

50% of Jiangsu’s fleet are Pilatus PC-6s; Kodiak 100 follows 

with 32%. The PC-6 is used mainly for sightseeing in Jiangsu, 

while the Kodiak 100 is utilized as a multi-mission aircraft. 



The top four OEM's Cessna, AVIC, Beechcraft and Pilatus 

account for 85% of the total fleet. Benefitting from having its 

own assembly line in China, Cessna has the largest turboprop 

fleet with 34% aircraft, all of which are Cessna 208s. The 208 

airframes can be outfitted with several types of landing gear, 

allowing it to operate in a variety of environments. AVIC follows 

with 30% aircraft. 

91% of the AVIC fleet are Y-12s, with remaining models 

including the MA60, MA600 and Y-7. Priced at almost half of 

the Y-12’s most comparable competitor — the Viking DHC-6- 

400 Twin Otter the Y-12 is popular among remote provinces 

such as Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang for its large 

cabin volume and payload, travel distance and configuration 

capabilities. Rainmaking is one of the major ways to tackle 

draught issue in China. Over 15% (11) of Y-12s are configured 

with a rainmaking system, contributing to the 615 tons of 

artificial rain created in 2016. 

Beechcraft ranks third in total fleet, with 32 aircraft. The 

King Air 350 and C90GTi share nearly 90% of the Beechcraft 

market. Remaining models are the King Air B200 and Bonanza. 

Distribution of the King Air aircraft is clustered in more remote 

provinces such as Heilongjiang and Xinjiang. The first Chinaassembled 

King Air 350 joined the market in 2015, a joint 

venture by Textron and AVIC. The mission segment of King Airs 

includes multi-mission (42%), training (26%), aero-survey (13%) 

and charter (10%). 

Pilatus follows with 9% aircraft in total. Compared to other OEMs, the 

Pilatus fleet is clustered in several provinces with over half of the fleet 

(12) based in Jiangsu. Main missions of the Pilatus are sightseeing 

(50%), multi-mission segment (23%) and agriculture (18%). 

OEM Model Fleet 

AVIC MA60 3 

AVIC MA600 2 

AVIC Y12 69 

AVIC Y7 2 

Beechcraft Bonanza 1 

Beechcraft King Air B200 2 

Beechcraft King Air 350 15 

Beechcraft King Air C90GTi 14 

Cessna Cessna 208 84 

Pacific Aerospace PAC750XL 9 

Piaggio P180 4 

Pilatus PC-12 2 

Pilatus PC-6 20 

Piper PA-42-720 2 

Quest Aircraft Kodiak100 19 

Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter 2 

TOTAL 250 


AIRCRAFT SPOTLIGHT 

KING AIR 350i / 350ER 


AIRCRAFT SPOTLIGHT 

Aircraft manufacturer Beechcraft a subsidiary of Textron Aviation — launched an updated version of its successful 

B200 line, with its Super King Air 300, which took flight for the first time in 1983. Following its success, the 

company dropped the “Super” and subsequently developed updated models including the King Air 350ER and the 

King Air 350i. The two have since stood out as outstanding aircraft, with superior performance. 

The King Air 350i is a large twin turboprop aircraft, suited for 

two pilots and nine passengers. Its short takeoff and landing 

(STOL) requirements and high payload capacity are its main 

selling points. With a wide-range of uses, the 350i is fit for 

reconnaissance, remote sensing, aerial photography, geophysical 

exploration and other special missions. The aircraft range is 

3,345km (1,806nm). 

The King Air 350ER, an extended version of the model 300, 

was announced at the Paris Air Show in 2005. The updated 

version offers flexible, reconfigurable interiors, making it easy 

to accommodate the passengers, cargo, and various mission 

segments. In 2012, the National Aeronautics Association 

(NAA) and International Aviation Federation (FAI) confirmed 

that King Air 350ER set a flying speed record, with a maximum 

speed of 574 km/h. 

Both the King Air 350i and the King Air 350ER offer superior 

quality, including new standard cabins with the latest passive 

sound insulation and noise technology. Larger cabins, smaller fuel 

consumption and less running costs allow each aircraft to carry 

more passengers and cargo, as well as to take off and land and 

operate more flexibly. 

Beechcraft owners, including owners of the King Air 350i and the 

King Air 350ER, enjoy an extensive global service support network. 

Please contact Avion Pacific Ltd ((Beechcraft dealer in Greater China) 

for more information. 

Tel: +86 755 26670729 

Website: www.avionpacific.com 

Email: marketing@avionpacific.com 

SPECS 

KING AIR 350i 

KING AIR 350ER 

Range 

3,345 km (1,806 nm) 

Range 

4,986 km (2,692 nm) 

Maximum Cruise Speed 

578 km/h (312 ktas) 

Maximum Cruise Speed 

561 km/h (303 ktas) 

Maximum Ramp Weight 

6,849 kg (15,100 lb) 

Maximum Ramp Weight 

7,530 kg (16,600 lb) 

Maximum Payload 

1,102 kg (2,430 lb) 

Maximum Payload 

1,608 kg (3,545 lb) 

Maximum Passengers 

11 

Maximum Passengers 

11 

Cabin Interior 

Cabin Interior 

Height 

1.45 m (57 in) 

Height 

1.45 m (57 in) 

Width 

1.37 m (54 in) 

Width 

1.37 m (54 in) 

Length 

5.94 m (19 ft 6 in) 

Length 

5.94 m (19 ft 6 in) 

Features 

• Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion Avionics 

• Terrain Awareness and Warning System 

• Traffic Collision Avoidance System 

• Automatic Flight Guidance System (AFGS) 

Features 

• Intuitive graphical touchscreen flight planning 

• Synthetic Vision System (SVS) 

• Available automatic wireless database and chart uploads 

• NextGen and precision GPS capabilities 



PISTON FIXED-WING MARKET 

Piston Fixed-Wing by OEM 

Zhongqing 19 (2%) 

Others 114 (7%) 

PZL-Mielec 19 (2%) 

Thrush Aircraft 20 (2%) 

MiBee 25 (2%) 

Sunward 27 (2%) 

Tecnam 34 (3%) 

Piper 47 (4%) 

Cirrus 67 (6%) 

Cessna 253 (21%) 

26+23+21+6+4+3+2+2+2+2+2+7+G 

1,228 

AVIC 318 (26%) 

Diamond 285 (23%) 

Piston fixed-wing 

aircraft in China are 

mainly used for training 

and agriculture. The 

combination of which 

account for over 80% of 

the total fleet number. 

Piston Fixed-Wing by Size Category 

Ultralight 79 (7%) 

88+7+5+G 

1,228 

Piston Fixed-Wing by Mission 

Aero-Survey/Photography 5 (1%) 

Sightseeing 46 (4%) 

Aero-Sport 65 (5%) 

Multi-Mission 116 (9%) 

Agriculture 

279 (23%) 

58+23+8+5+4+2+G 

1,228 

Twin 67 (5%) 

Single 1,082 (88%) 


The piston fixed-wing market in China is the largest of 

all general aviation aircraft, with a total of 1,228 in the 

country. Chinese aircraft manufacturer AVIC has the 

largest fleet, with 318 aircraft in total, followed by Diamond 

(285) and Cessna (253). Combined, these manufacturers 

account for over half of the piston fixed-wing aircraft fleet 

in China. 

Despite Cessna’s third place rank, the Cessna 172 is the most 

popular model in this category of aircraft, with 244 in China. 

Unlike other models, the Cessna 172 is more concentrated 

in a few provinces including Sichuan, Shandong, Hubei and 

Guangdong, where 87% of the Cessna 172 fleet are located. 

AVIC’s Y-5 model follows the Cessna 172, with 216 aircraft. 

The Y-5 models are more dispersed across the country, with 

the highest number (19%) located in Heilongjiang. Although 

the first flight of the Y-5 was 40 years ago, it continues to 

be the most popular made-in-China piston aircraft today 

because of its stability and low operating cost. The Diamond 

DA40 follows the Cessna 172 and Y-5, in terms of popularity. 

Like the Cessna 172, the DA40 fleet is clustered into certain 

provinces such as Shaanxi, Hubei and Tianjin. 

Piston fixed-wing aircraft in China are mainly used for 

training and agriculture. The combination of which account 

for over 80% of the total fleet number. 717 (58%) of all piston 

fixed-wing aircraft in China are used for training purposes, 

with the Cessna 172 being used most often for this purpose. 



AVIC aircraft are the most popular piston aircraft in China, 65% 

are used for agriculture. Aircraft used for training can be found 

throughout the country, in 22 of the 34 provinces. 

23% (279) of China's fleet is used for agriculture purposes. Unlike 

training aircraft, which can be found in most provinces in large 

quantities, agriculture piston aircraft are concentrated in a few 

provinces including Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, Liaoning and Hebei. 

Heilongjiang itself already has 105 agriculture aircraft based in 

the province. 40% of these agriculture aircraft are AVIC’s Y-5 

model. 

In terms of geography, the southwest province of Sichuan has the 

highest number of piston fixed-wing aircraft. 215 (95%) are used 

for training purposes; a reflection of the provinces’ high quality 

training schools. Most of these are operated by the Civil Aviation 

Flight University of China and Sichuan Longhao Flight Training. 

Heilongjiang province, located in the most northeastern part of 

China, is China’s largest agriculture base and plays a significant 

role in the industries of oil, timber, coal and machinery. As such, 

the province is home to the majority of the country’s agriculture 

aircraft. In 1985, the second largest general aviation company 

in China, Beidahuang GA, was set up in this province. The 

company now has over 70 pilots and 130 mechanics with over 

80 piston aircraft. The local government has also contributed 

to the development of this business environment. In 2017, the 

subsidy for piston fixed-wing aircraft for agricultural purpose in 

Heilongjiang was 4.7B RMB (approximately US$705M). 

China’s capital city of Beijing ranks fifth in total fleet by province. 

Compared to the previous three provinces, Beijing has a diverse 

fleet of aircraft. While training continues to dominate with nearly 

half of these aircraft used in this segment, aero-sport and multimission 

aircraft account for 22% and 19% of the province's fleet, 

respectively. Agriculture and sightseeing follow with 8% and 3%, 

respectively. 

The Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC) has the 

largest fleet of piston fixed-wing aircraft in the country. CAFUC 

is one of the largest pilot training schools in China with four 

branches. The Sichuan-based pilot school has five airports and 

208 piston aircraft for training purposed. CAFUC’s piston fixedwing 

fleet is more than double the second-ranked Beidahuang GA. 

The fleet consists of mostly Cessna 172Rs, with Cirrus SR 20 and 

Piper PA 44-180 making up a large part of the fleet. 

Beidahuang GA ranks second in total fleet size with 80 piston 

aircraft, all of which are configured to handle agriculture demands. 

Ayres Thrush S2R-H80, an American low-wing agricultural aircraft, 

accounts for 25% of the total fleet. Dromader M-18, a Polish single 

engine agricultural aircraft, follows with 19 aircraft. 

Hainan Aviation Academy and Phoenix Flying College share third 

place with 46 aircraft each. Both operator’s fleets are made up of 

only Diamond aircraft. 



OEM 

Model 

Fleet 

OEM 

Model 

Fleet 

Air Tractor AT-3R100 4 

Air Tractor AT-402B 4 

Air Tractor AT-504 2 

Air Tractor AT-802 6 

AVIC A2C 29 

AVIC A2C-L 4 

AVIC CJ-6A 2 

AVIC LE-500 47 

AVIC N5A 15 

AVIC Y11 5 

AVIC Y5 216 





Cirrus SR20 59 

Cirrus SR22 8 

Comco Ikarus C42 14 

CubCrafters CC18-180 1 

Daher-Socata TB-20 14 

Dart GK-18 2 

Diamond DA20 28 



Evektor- 

Aerotechnik 

SportstarSL 1 

Feibao XY I 2 

Flight Design CTLS 7 

Gippsland GA200 6 

Gippsland GA8 2 

Jabiru J160 13 

Jabiru J230 2 

KnAAPO Be-103 2 

Liberty Liberty XL-2 6 

MiBee M11 2 

MiBee M3C 8 

MiBee M4 15 

Mooney M20J 1 

Mooney M20TN 1 

Piper PA-44-180 47 

Pipistrel SINUS912 1 

Pipistrel Taurus 4 

Pipistrel VIRUSSW100 2 

Pipistrel VIRUSSW80 1 

PZL-Mielec M-18 19 

Rans Coyote II 1 

Rans Rans S6ES 1 

Ruixiang RX1E 4 

SeaRey SeareyLSA 6 

Sunward SA60L 27 

Tecnam P2002-JF 11 

Tecnam P2006T 13 

Tecnam P92-JS 10 

Thrush Aircraft S2R-H80 20 

Transavua PL12-T400 1 

XremeAir XA42 3 

Zhongqing Petrel 650 19 

TOTAL 1,228 


GA CHINA MAGAZINE 

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Register your attendance now at www.singaporeairshow.com/register 


COMBINING EAST AND 

WEST IN CHINA GA 

INTERVIEW WITH DAVID PENG, GENERAL MANAGER 

KINGS AVIATION 


In 1996, David Peng was introduced to aviation for the first time at the “China 

International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition” in Zhuhai, opening his eyes — 

and ears — to the roaring sounds of fighter jets, military and civil aircraft. The 

sights and sounds piqued Peng’s interest and left a lasting impression. During 

that time, China had also begun embracing general aviation; an opportune time 

to make a move in that direction. Since that first show in Zhuhai, Peng has grown 

with the industry; going on to establishing his own general aviation company in 

Shenzhen, China. 

What is your background in the aviation 

industry? 

In 2005, China’s leading general aviation service provider — 

Avion Pacific Limited — was recruiting marketing personnel, 

and I decided to make the move from the automobile industry 

to aviation. With the company, I performed market analysis and 

aircraft sales. It was also during this time that Avion Pacific’s 

Chairman, Mr. Wu Zhendong and the current Asia Vice Sales 

Director, Mr. XueFeng Liao helped to guide me through the 

developing world of general aviation. 

As an authorized agent of Hawker Beechcraft products, Avion 

Pacific enabled me to achieve one of my career highlights, which 

was the sale of the first Hawker 4000, a super-medium business 

jet. This was the first one to be imported into China. 


COMPANY PROFILE: KINGS AVIATION 

What inspired Kings Aviation's 

establishment? 

It began as a thought in 2009. With restrictions on lower altitude 

airspace becoming more relaxed, it was anticipated that China's 

GA market growth rate would accelerate; thus creating a large 

aircraft management demand and the demand for GA pilots. 

including: 1) the country’s large land mass, population, and high 

economic growth; 2) the government’s continued support; and 

3) the high enthusiasm among the investment world for China 

GA. Government executive transport, EMS, natural disaster and 

emergency respondse, construction, forestry and firefighting, 

air tourism, private recreational flight, and pilot training all have 

great room for growth. 

In 2010, I was sent to establish a general aviation company, 

which is now King’s Aviation. It started with aircraft sales and 

moved to aircraft operation. On June 13 2012, Shenzhen Kings 

Aviation acquired a CAAC Part 91 certification. 

After years of exploration and development, Kings Aviation is 

now building up its brand and reputation in the GA industry. Our 

main operations are powerline patrol, forestry, air tourism, pilot 

training, serving power cable companies, forestry and firefighting 

departments, tourist attractions, and corporate and private 

aviation clients. 

Currently, we operate out of Guangdong, Yangjiang, with a second 

base at Shenzhen Nantou Heliport. These two locations are 

pivotal to the services that we provide. For the needs of powerline 

patrol operations, Kings Aviation uses over 20 helicopter landing 

spots in Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Chongqing, Sichuan, and Yunan. 

For our forestry operation, we have bases at Jingzhou Shashi 

Airport and Wuchang Airport, while tourism operations are based 

in Qinghai, Guide and Chaka. 

The GA market is 

limited in terms of 

economic scale; 

the cake is small 

and everybody 

wants a piece of it. 

What aircraft does Kings Aviation operate? 

Currently, we operate two Airbus AS350B3s, one Sikorsky 

Schweitzer 300CBi, and we are planning to bring in a medium- or 

heavy-size helicopter, as well as fixed-wing aircraft. 

What potential do you see in China's GA 

industry? 

China's GA market is still limited by its small economic scale, 

operation restrictions and irrational competition. However, 

the GA market has huge potential for a number of reasons 

What do you consider the industry’s 

greatest challenge? 

The greatest challenge is still the fact that the GA market 

is limited in terms of economic scale; the cake is small and 

everybody wants a piece of it. The average flying hours per 

aircraft are still low and operating cost is increasing, which 

dampens business development and growth. For safety reasons, 

GA operation relies on experienced chief pilots, which causes 

a shortage of experienced pilots. Young pilots often don't have 

the chance to build up their required flight hours to become an 

experienced pilot, causing a problem for GA development. Solving 

this problem requires effort from many different sides; to train 

better personnel and lower the cost of operation. 

Still, GA is in a better position now than before the government’s 

widespread support for the industry. At that time GA was 

considered on only a small economic scale. There was limited 

investment, a restricted operational environment, and a lack of 

professional personnel. 

What makes Kings Aviation a reputable 

company? 

Since 2012, keeping “Safety First” in mind, Kings Aviation has 

worked hard and built a reputable image by committing to our 

customers. The company has a crew with an international 

mindset, excellent potential and dedicated behavior. Influenced 

greatly by Avion Pacific, Kings Aviation has a company mission 

of promoting China GA development. Our team consists of 

international professionals, with outstanding capabilities, 

dedication, spirit, and cooperation. 

www.kingsaviation.cn 



The limitation of low altitude airspace still hinders the growth of the entire aviation industry in China, including 

the rotary-wing market. 57% of the total fleet is turbine, with 519 aircraft in total. Piston follows with 364 (40%) 

aircraft. Despite the turbine fleet being larger by 17%, the replacement cost of turbine helicopters is worth 97% 

of the market share. 

48% of the turbine fleet is clustered in coastal provinces including Guangdong, Shanghai and Shandong, with main 

mission segments including offshore in Guangdong, emergency medical service and search and rescue in Shanghai. For 

piston helicopter, nearly half are training aircraft, with sightseeing, agriculture and multi-mission segments making up 

the rest. Foreign OEMs dominate the China market, despite the government policies aimed at promoting Chinese OEMs, 

including tax benefits. Chinese manufacturers AVIC only account for 7% of the turbine market share. 

Rotary-Wing Fleet by Province 

903 in Total 

Guangdong 

Beijing 

100+50+41+36+35+34+26+26+19+18+16+16+15+12+10+10+8+8+6+6+6+5+5+4+4+3+2+2+2+2+1 

173 

85 

70 62 61 60 

44 44 

32 30 28 27 26 

21 

17 

17 13 13 10 10 10 9 8 6 6 5 4 4 3 3 2 

Shanghai 

Shandong 

Sichuan 

Hubei 

Henan 

Heilongjiang 

Chongqing 

Hebei 

Yunnan 

Jiangsu 

Zhejiang 

Tianjin 

Liaoning 

Shaanxi 

Guizhou 

Hunan 

Guangxi 


Xinjiang 

Fujian 

Hainan 

Anhui 

Shanxi 

Gansu 

Jiangxi 

Qinghai 

Jilin 

Ningxia 

Tibet 



Rotary-Wing Fleet by Type 

Total Fleet 

Replacement Cost (USD Billions) 

Gyroplane 20 (2%) Turbine 519 (57%) Piston (3%) 

Turbine (97%) 

Piston 364 (40%) 

57+40+3+G 

903 

97+3+G 

$3.8 

903 in Total 

FLEET DISTRIBUTION BY PROVINCE 

Number of Piston 

Number of Turbine 

Number of Gyroplane 

29 

15 

HEILONGJIANG 

58 

26 

1 

BEIJING 

5 12 

LIAONING 

3 

JILIN 

1 

9 

XINJIANG 

4 1 


4 6 


4 1 1 

SHANXI 

7 14 

TIANJIN 

32 

20 

10 

4 

3 

NINGXIA 

16 12 2 

HEBEI 

SHANDONG 

2 

QINGHAI 

16 

30 

11 

13 

1 JIANGSU 

8 9 49 


SHAANXI 

21 

TIBET 

41 

20 

SICHUAN 

26 

2 

YUNNAN 

SHANGHAI 

24 

29 29 

2 4 

8 

2 

ANHUI 

CHONGQING HUBEI 

2 2 

JIANGXI 

8 5 

HUNAN 116 

10 3 

57 

GUIZHOU 

GUANGDONG 

2 8 

GUANGXI 

16 10 

ZHEJIANG 

4 5 

FUJIAN 

6 

2 

HAINAN 


| 37


TURBINE HELICOPTER MARKET 

Turbine Helicopter by Size Category 

Light Twin 39 (8%) Single 297 (57%) 

Heavy 52 (10%) 

Medium 131 (25%) 

57+25+10+8+G 

519 

Reflective of the turbine-helicopter multi-mission segment is 

the use of Airbus’ H125, which is the most popular turbinetype 

in China. There are 89 H125s in the country, representing 

17% of the total fleet. Airbus’s H135, H155 and H120 are also 

popular models. Bell has the second largest market share, 

with the Bell 407 and Bell 206 representing 10% and 7% of 

the total fleet. Chinese OEM AVIC also has a stake in the 

market, with a 7% share, which includes the AC311, AC312, 

H410, H425, Z11 and Z9. 

Operating the fleet of 519 turbine helicopters are 

approximately 105 operators — 61 of which have only one 

or two helicopters on their inventory while the remaining 

operators account for 68% of the fleet. 

Turbine Helicopter by Mission 

Others 14 (3%) 


Charter/Commuter 14 (3%) 

SAR 23 (5%) 

Powerline 28 (5%) 

EMS 29 (6%) 



47 (9%) 

Law Enforcement 54 (11%) 

The total number of turbine helicopters in China stands at 

519 as of mid-2017. Airbus Helicopters continues to have 

the largest market share in China at 38%, with 197 aircraft. 

The French manufacturer’s helicopters in China have surpassed the 

number in United States, becoming the largest market for the OEM, 

in terms of annual booking. Bell Helicopter holds 21% of the market, 

followed by Leonardo, with 10%. 

37+12+10+9+8+6+5+4+3+3+3+G 

519 

Turbine-helicopters in China are used for varying mission segments, 

with 37% of the fleet used for multi-mission segments, followed 

by offshore, law enforcement, sightseeing, agriculture and EMS. 

Included in the multi-mission segment are helicopters used for 

forestry protection operations, including firefighting, which are 

used throughout the year. Powerline patrol and agriculture spraying 

operations are also increasingly popular and much-needed mission 

types, within the multi-mission segment. 


Offshore 64 (12%) 

China’s Citic Offshore Helicopter Company (COHC) is the 

largest operator in China. The company is heavily involved 

in offshore oil operations and pilot services for ships at port, 

with 34 helicopters assigned to offshore missions. Models 

include AS332L/L1, EC155B/B1, EC225LP and S-92A. COHC 

GA, a subsidiary of COHC, specializes in powerline patrol and 

various multi-mission segments. Their models include the 

H425, KA-32, AS350B3 and Z11. CHOC has a total number of 

68 turbine helicopters. 

State Grid and Shanghai Kingwing GA are the second largest 

non-state operators. State Grid’s helicopters are used for 

powerline missions, including the Bell 206, Bell 429, Bell 

407 and AS350B3. Other operators include China Southern, 

Reignwood and Flying Dragon with focuses on offshore, 

charter, agriculture and flight training. 

While the fleet of 519 turbine helicopters are spread out 

throughout the country, small clusters are situated along 

the eastern coast — from North to South. In the Western 

part of China there are 91 helicopters, leaving the Eastern 

countryside with remaining 82%. Large demand alongside 

the coast can be seen in areas surrounding Bohai Bay, which 

is home to one of the country’s largest oil and gas production 

bases, as well as the government-owned China National 

Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). 

Southern China accounts for more than 60% of the total 

helicopter fleet, thanks to provinces with large fleets such 

as the manufacturing hub of Guangdong (116), as well as 

Shanghai (49). Guangdong continues to be the province 

with the highest number of helicopters. Nearly 90% of the 

helicopters in China allocated for offshore missions are in 

Guangdong, accounting for nearly half of the fleet in this 

province. The remaining helicopters are assigned to multimission 

use, law enforcement and SAR. 


Turbine Helicopter by OEM 

Total Fleet 

Kamov 15 (3%) 

Robinson 16 (3%) 

Russian Helicopters 16 (3%) 

Enstrom 21 (4%) 

AVIC 38 (7%) 

Silkorsky 49 (9%) 

38+21+10+9+7+4+3+3+3+2+G 

519 

Others 6 (2%) 

Airbus Helicopters 

197 (38%) 

Leonardo 53 (10%) Bell 108 (21%) 

Replacement Cost (USD Billions) 

Russian Helicopters (4%) 

AVIC (4%) 

Kamov (5%) 

Leonardo (11%) 

Bell (11%) 

37+23+11+10+8+5+4+2+G 

$3.7 

Others (2%) 

Airbus Helicopters (39%) 

Sikorsky (24%) 

Larger helicopter hubs in Northern China are in Beijing (58) and 

Shandong (32). Beijing has the second largest fleet in China. Out 

of its 58 turbine helicopters, 23 are used for powerline patrol, while 

the remaining are responsible for multi-mission, law enforcement 

and charter. Airbus’ H125 and Bell 407 do particularly well in this 

area, accounting for 28% and 24%, respectively. 

Shanghai ranks third with a fleet of 49. The helicopter inventory 

has kept growing compared to last year, with an addition of five 

helicopter in 2017. 19 of the 49 helicopters are used for EMS 

services, operated by Shanghai King Wing GA. Eight of them are 

used for search and rescue missions, operated by the Ministry of 

Transportation (Shanghai). 

While the fleet of 519 

turbine helicopters are 

spread out throughout 

the country, small 

clusters are situated 

along theEastern coast. 



OEM 

Model 

Fleet 

OEM 

Model 

Fleet 

Airbus Helicopters AS332L 2 

Airbus Helicopters AS332L1 6 

Airbus Helicopters AS350B2 7 

Airbus Helicopters AS365N 5 

Airbus Helicopters H120 18 







AVIC AC311 14 

AVIC AC312 2 

AVIC H410 2 

AVIC H425 14 

AVIC Z11 4 

AVIC Z9 2 

Bell Bell 206 38 



Bell Bell 412EP 2 



Enstrom EN480 3 

Enstrom EN480B 18 

Kamov Ka-32 15 

Leonardo AW109 7 

Leonardo AW109/SP 9 



Leonardo SW-4 1 

MD Helicopters MD 500 2 



Robinson R66 16 

Russian Helicopters Mi-171 9 

Russian Helicopters Mi-26TC 4 

Russian Helicopters Mi-8T 3 

Schweizer S-333 1 

Sikorsky S-76A 3 

Sikorsky S-76C 5 

Sikorsky S-76C+ 6 

Sikorsky S-76C++ 12 

Sikorsky S-76D 9 

Sikorsky S-92A 14 

TOTAL 519 



PISTON HELICOPTER MARKET 

Piston Helicopter by Size Category 

Gyroplane 20 (5%) 

Piston Helicopter by Mission 

Aero-Survey/Photography 9 (2%) 



61 (16%) 


As China’s helicopter sector continues to flourish, its piston 

fleet stands at 384, as of mid-2017. Its total replacement 

value is US$120M, representing only three percent of the total 

value of China’s helicopter market. 

95+5+G 

384 

47+25+17+8+2+1+G 

384 

Piston 364 (95%) 

Others 8 (1%) 


While turbine helicopters are typically utilized for more critical 

mission segments, including search and rescue, offshore operations 

and emergency medical services, single-engine pistons are generally 

used in the corporate, private and flight training segments. In China, 

piston helicopters are most used for pilot training (45%), as well as 

being used for sightseeing, agriculture and multi-mission operations. 

Piston helicopters are often preferred by operators 

participating in non-critical mission segments because of the 

piston’s low operating cost and relatively easy maintainability. 

Helicopter manufacturer Robinson Helicopter Company 

dominates China’s piston helicopter market, making up 73% 

of the market, followed by Schweizer, which makes up 16%. 

The Robinson R44 is the most popular model in the country 

— and globally — accounting for 54% of the total piston 

helicopter fleet. The Robinson R22 makes up 19%, while the 

Schweizer 300C makes up 16%. 

Helicopter 

manufacturer 

Robinson Helicopter 

Company dominates 

China’s piston 

helicopter market, 

holding a 73% share. 

In 2013, gyroplanes received airworthiness certificates in 

China. Currently, there are 14 MTOsport and six AutoGyro 

Calidus, most of which are operated in the Shandong 

Province. As the only gyroplane training institution in 

China, Shandong Qi Xiang GA has the largest number of 

gyroplanes. These are typically used for recreational flying 

and private training. 

Guangdong Baiyun General Aviation is the operator with the 

largest piston fleet, which is made up of mainly R22s and 

R44s, used for flight training. Guangzhou Suilian Helicopter, 

Xilin Fengteng GA and China Flying Dragon GA follow. 

In terms of geography, Guangdong and Sichuan are the 

main operating bases for piston helicopters. Henan, Hubei 

and Shandong also have strong presence. 


Piston Helicopter by OEM 

Total Fleet 

Replacement Cost (USD Millions) 

Enstrom 5 (1%) Robinson 282 (73%) 

Guimbal 15 (4%) 

Guimbal (5%) 

AutoGyro (1%) 

Enstrom (1%) 

AutoGyro 20 (5%) 

Schweizer 62 (16%) 

73+17+5+4+1+G 74+19+5+1+1+G 

384 

Schweizer (19%) 

$120 

Robinson (74%) 

Servicing the fleet of piston helicopters are 12 maintenance 

facilities, providing services to R22 and R44 helicopters. These 

maintenance providers are made up of Robinson Helicopter 

operators, including one which also provides MRO services to 

Schweizer, and helicopter MRO companies. 

While China’s turbine helicopter fleet is larger than the 

piston fleet, the piston market is expected to grow because 

of the fast development of the country’s agriculture and 

sightseeing industries. 

Piston Helicopter by Model 

OEM Model Fleet 

AutoGyro Calidus 6 

AutoGyro MTOsport 14 

Enstrom EN 280FX 4 

Enstrom TH-28 1 

Guimbal Cabri G2 15 



Schweizer 300C 62 

TOTAL 384 



As of June 30, 2017, there were 345 CAAC-approved GA 

companies. Between 2014 and 2015, the number of GA 

companies showed a 17.6% growth, with an increase 

from 239 to 281. In 2016, the growth decreased to 13.9%, with still 

320 GA firms. There are around 380 companies and organizations 

operating GA aircraft. 

Civil Aviation Industry Development Statistics in 2016 showed 

that China had a total GA flight mission of 764,700 hours, a 1.8% 

decrease from 2015. 2015 saw a 15.4% increase, with a total of 

779,000 hours. In 2016, a slower growth rate in GA corporations 

accompanied the negative increase in the total GA mission hours, 

however, the numbers for the first half of 2017 seem to be better 

than that of 2016 already. 

The 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) fostered and developed 

several backbone GA companies, which acted as a driving force 

to the GA industry. The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) intends 

to follow suit. In 2016, a total of RMB 277M (US$41.55M) was 

invested into GA enterprises by civil aviation. In 2017, the budget 

for special projects is RMB 326M (US$48.9M), a 17.7% increase 

from last year. 

The five operators that received the largest subsidies in 2016 

were: Beidahuang GA (RMB 32.06M; US$4.81M), CITIC Offshore 

Helicopter Company (COHC) (RMB 27.84M; US$4.18M), China 

Flying Dragon GA (RMB 20.78M; US$3.1M), Xinjiang GA (RMB 

15.49M; US$2.3M) and Shandong GA (RMB 12.80M; US$1.8M). 

COHC, and its subsidiary, together received the largest subsidy 

amount among all GA operators, with RMB 38.14M (US$5.72M). 

Under the Provision on Capital Management of Special Project 

for General Aviation (Temporary), released by the CAAC financial 

department, there are four types of operations eligible for 

subsidization: (1) agriculture, farming and farming slight (sowing, 

spray, fertilization, deratization, forestry, artificial weather, etc); 

(2) industrial flight (fuel, power mission, aero-photography, 

climate investigation, marine monitoring, etc); (3) community 

service flight (medical and rescue, scientific experiment, geology 

exploration, urban fire control, etc); and (4) mission flights that 

carry out national emergency rescue. 

High operating costs, uneven mission distribution, insufficient 

economic capacity, underdeveloped GA facilities and low-altitude 

airspace restrictions are the prevailing problems encountered by 

most of the GA enterprises, at a time when the industry is still in its 

start-up phase. Meanwhile, government subsidization toward GA 

missions can greatly reduce the operating costs of the industry. 

GA companies seldom have annual profit of over RMB 10M 

(US$1.5M) and some are still struggling with achieving a balance 

of payments, as the country gives priority to the development 

of air ambulance and rescue services. Provincial government 

and corporations already have plans underway for the industry’s 

development, for instance, the introduction of fixed and rotarywing 

air ambulance, improvements in highway services, tourist 

area landing spots and hospital rooftop helipads. Rescue 

practice is also performed with hospital and police authorities. 

Public-oriented sightseeing tours, commuting services, and noncommercial 

enterprise and private flying are fields that require 

extra effort from the industry in the coming future, for further 

development of the market. 

Number of GA Operators in China 2007-2016 

Number of GA Operators 

% Change 

350 35% 

320 

300 

281 

30% 

250 

239 

25% 

200 

189 

20% 

146 

150 

123 

15% 

111 

89 

103 

100 68 

10% 

50 

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 

5% 

0% 

Data Source: GAMA and 2016 Civil Aviation Industry Development Statistics Bulletin 



Top Operators * - Business Jet Operator Distribution by Fleet - 

Business Jet 

50+46+14+14+14+12+12+12+9+7 

Deer Jet 

BAA 

China Eastern 

Sino Jet 

TAG Aviation 

Hongkong Jet 

Nanshan Jet 

ZYB Lily Jet 

Sparkle Roll Jet 

Beijing Airlines 

7 

9 

14 

14 

14 

12 

12 

12 

46 

50 

>20 

11-20 

3-10 

1-2 

* China Ocean Aviation, China United, Flight Inspection Center of CAAC and CAFUC are 

not shown in this list. 

2 

7 

17 

28 

Top Operators - 

Turboprop & Piston Fixed-Wing 

Operator Distribution by Fleet - 

Turboprop & Piston Fixed-Wing 

CAFUC 

Beidahuang GA 

Hainan Aviation Academy 

Phoenix Flying College 

Civil Aviation Univercity of China 

AVIC GAC 

China Flying Dragon GA 

Xinjiang GA 

Hubei Sky-Blue Academy 

Jiutian Flight Academy 

210 

100+41+22+22+20+19+18+17+15+15 

39 

31 

46 

42 

36 

32 

46 

40 

87 

>20 

11-20 

3-10 

1-2 

14 

17 

65 

88 

Top Operators* - Helicopter Operator Distribution by Fleet - 

Helicopter 

68+30+26+24+22+21+20+19+19+17+17 

COHC 


Shanghai Kingwing GA 

State Grid GA 

Southern GA 

Reignwood Star 

Guangdong Baiyun GA 

Guangzhou Suilian GA 

Xilin Fengteng GA 

Chongqing GA 

Hubei Tongcheng GA 

17 

20 

19 

17 

24 

22 

21 

19 

26 

30 

68 

>20 

11-20 

3-10 

1-2 

* China National Police and Ministry of Transport (MOT) are not shown in this list. 

6 

7 

69 

101 



EXPANDING GENERAL 

AVIATION IN CHINA 

INTERVIEW WITH DAJUN LI, 

DIRECTOR, XIHUA AVIATION 


In a move to facilitate the development of civil aviation in Sichuan province, the local government requested 

Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Company, a subsidiary of state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of 

China (AVIC), to establish the first general aviation company in the province. In 1996, experienced technicians 

and managerial staff were appointed to set up Huaxi GA Company. After restructuring, the company evolved into 

Xihua Aviation in early 2017; officially known as Sichuan Xihua GA Company Limited. 

What services does Xihua Aviation provide? 

At the moment, approximately 30% of aero-surveying missions 

in the South-Western region are undertaken by Xihua Aviation. 

A notable amount of our aero-captured geographical data was 

provided to the Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, Xi’an Research 

Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Western War Zone and State 

Bureau of Surveying and Mapping. 

Xihua Aviation participated in several rescue and reconstruction 

missions: Sichuan earthquake in 2008, Lushan earthquake in 

2013, and the Sichuan landslide and Jiuzhaigou earthquake in 

2017. 

The first aviation-police detachment in the Sichuan province 

was set up under the assistance of Xihua Aviation they execute 

police service flights such as patrolling, rescue, law enforcement 

and anti-terrorism. With participation in the anti-terrorist drills 

and emergency rescue practices, which are organized by 

the Ministry of Public Security and Sichuan Provincial Public 



Security Department, we have built a reputable image in the 

industry. Moreover, Xihua Aviation is the first enterprise in the 

country to use 12IV-type and Y-12E aircraft in agriculture and 

forestry missions. 

Xihua Aviation is the 

first GA company 

located in the South- 

Western region that 

simultaneously 

operates fixed-wing 

and rotary-wing 

aircraft. 

What aircraft does Xihua Aviation operate? 

Xihua Aviation is the first GA company located in the South- 

Western region that simultaneously operates fixed and rotarywing 

aircraft. Additionally, we are the only GA firm that is equipped 

with high, mid and low-altitude operation capability. With a stable 

development, the company is continuously expanding the fleet 

through aircraft additions with a broader model range. Currently, 

we are operating a 15-aircraft fleet with seven model types. Fixedwing 

aircraft models include King Air 350ER, C90GTI, Cessna 

208B, Y5B, and JA600; helicopters models include the AC311 and 

R44II. 

How do you feel about the development of 

the GA market and its potential? 

In 2016, the State Council released “Instructions on GA 

Development Facilitation”, a significant move after perceiving the 

country’s strategic development and trend. CAAC department 

supervisors followed the country’s steps, delivering a series of 

reform policies and the provincial government also responded by 

forming a GA development framework. A remarkable period with 

immense opportunities and chances, like now, has been longwaited 

by generations of industry professionals. 

Based on the experience of GA-developed countries, we are 

optimistic towards the potential of the GA consumption 

market. At the current stage, the GA market is dominated 

by government services, such as urban-function safeguards 

(police and fire fighting), medical services (rescue and medical 

transfer) and emergency services. Community service has a 

prominent nature in favoring public interests, and hence, the 

government has a better capability to carry out the services. 

When community services are highly correlated with citizens’ 

living standard, the GA acceptance level by the public is raised. 

Community service growth is beneficial to social equality, which 

helps push forward the management reformation. Community 

service requires a secured airport network, which can also 

be utilized in private flying. When the necessary conditions 

are gradually fulfilled, private flying can be a customized 

consumption with favorable prospect. 

What were the challenges prior to the 

government’s loosening of restrictions? 

Survival. 

What is a major challenge of the 

industry today? 

GA is an industry with strong professionalism and high safety 

pressure. In recent years, the country keeps expanding the 

support towards GA development, which raises awareness 

from society and capital inflow to the industry. This creates a 

great pushing force to the GA sector. Since time and patience 

are highly required in GA’s development, we believe that the 

major challenge is to strive for an equilibrium between long-term 

commitment and capital’s profit-oriented nature. 



Infrastructure insufficiency is a significant hurdle to China GA development. Despite its second-place rank in the number 

of flights globally, China falls behind other GA-developed countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and Brazil. Civil 

airports and airport-supporting facilities are two significant components of GA infrastructure. 

A civil airport can be divided into an air carrier airport and GA 

airport. An air carrier airport is a civil airport with scheduled flights; 

224 are already built. The existing airports are operational bases 

for most business jets, and a portion of them are also equipped 

with GA service capabilities. A GA airport is regarded as an airport 

that is neither for military use, nor serving scheduled flights. GA 

airports can be categorized into Type A and B: Type A is open to 

the public; while Type B is non-public. 

In 2010, there were 286 GA airports and temporary landing spots 

(certified: 43; non-certified: 243); while in 2015, the number of GA 

airports and landing spots increased to 400. According to Asian 

Sky Group’s statistics, there are 913 GA airports and temporary 

landing spots in the country. 74 GA airports are certified 

(including 20 heliports), and the number of non-certified fixedwing 

GA airports is 204, 33 heliports without certification, and 

over 602 helipad or designated landing spots. 

Under the Provision on GA Airport Classification, released on April 

24th, 2017, Type A can be further divided into three subtypes: 

• A1: GA airports with commercial flight activities using an 

aircraft suitable for 10 passengers and above; 

• A2: GA airports with commercial flight activities using an 

aircraft suitable for five to nine passengers; 

• A3: GA airports that are not included in A1 and A2. 

Among the 602 landing spots, including helipads built by hospitals, 

the main purpose is to serve emergency medical flights. Henan 

province, with 104 hospital-constructed landing spots, is the 

pioneer in air ambulance support, and sets up landing spots at 

locations such as stadiums, squares, parks and schools. There 

will be 850 international-standardized bases for emergency air 

rescue by 2020. Apart from emergency-use landing spots, there 

are landing spots for forest protection and tourism. 



A temporary landing spot, in general, has one-year validity, which 

will be subsequently cancelled if no renewal is made before 

expiry. Meanwhile, temporary landing spots can be upgraded, 

into different classes of GA airports. 

The country plans to have 500 GA airports and a batch of 

landing spots by 2020; in 2030, 2,000 airports are expected to be 

constructed, with an ambitious target of having at least one GA 

airport in each of the 2,800 counties. 

GA Airports, Heliports & Helipads by Province 

160 

Fixed-Wing General Aviation Airport 

Heliport 

Helipad and Landing Spot 

140 

120 

100 

Xinjiang 

Number of GA Airports and Landing Spots 

68 

17 

19 

5 

7 

13 

Heilongjiang 

Liaoning 

Guangdong 


Shandong 

Shaanxi 

Beijing 

4 

Jiangsu 

10 

Sichuan 

Jiangxi 

Zhejiang 

Hubei 

Hebei 

Shanghai 

25 

Yunnan 

9 1 

Henan 

Fujian 

Jilin 

Shanxi 

Guangxi 

Tianjin 

Hunan 

Hainan 

Ningxia 

Chongqing 

Anhui 

Gansu 

Guizhou 

QInghai 

Tibet 

3 9 

24 

80 

60 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

78 

2 64 

7 

7 2 51 

6 3 3 

4 10 

5 

4 5 3 

4 4 45 

3 4 11 

44 

6 

3 3 8 

21 

1 5 

3 165 

1 

1 3 7 

3 2 

3 3 

2 1 

21 

2 1 9 

2 1 6 

1 2 4 

2 2 

1 1 7 

1 1 1 

1 1 

19 

3 

0 


| 49


COMMERCIAL SERVICE AIRPORTS 

Commercial service airports serve the needs of both public air transportation and GA services. As of December 31, 

2016, there were 218 operational commercial service airports in China, with the number increased to 224 by 

June 2017. In 2016, the country’s total passenger traffic though commercial service airports was 1.16 billion, 

an increase of 11.1% from 915 million in 2015. By 2020, the number is estimated to reach 1.5 billion, with the number of 

commercial service airports expected to be 260. Commercial airline passenger traffic concentrates on hub airports, with 

the top 21 airports accounting for above 70% of the country’s traffic. The “east-dense, west-sparse” airport density fully 

reflects the country’s uneven distribution of population, resulting in the airport’s uneven distribution of revenue. 

XINJIANG 

• Ürümqi 

• Yining 

• Karamay 

• Bortala 

• Hotan 

• Hami 

• Kashgar 

• Tacheng 

• Buerjin 

• Korla 

• Kuqa 

• Nalati 

• Aksu 

QINGHAI 

• Altay 

• Qiemo 

• Turpan 

• Fuyun 

• Shihezi 


• Lanzhou 

• Jiayuguan 

• Tianshui 

• Qingyang 

• Zhangye 

• Jiuquan 

• Gannan 

• Jinchang 

NINGXIA 

• Zhongwei 

• Guyuan 

• Yinchuan 

• Golmud 

• Yushu 

• Xining 

• Golog 

• Delingha 

• Huatugou 

HUBEI 

SHAANXI 

• Yanan 

• Yulin 

• Hanzhong 

• Xi’an 

• Ankang 

TIBET 

• Lhasa 

• Changdu 

• Linzhi 

• Shigatse 

• Ngari 

• Yichang 

• Enshi 

• Wuhan 

• Xiangfan 

• Shiyan 

• Shennongjia 

CHONGQING 

• Wanzhou 

• Chongqing 

• Qianjiang 

HUNAN 

• Changde 

• Zhangjiajie 

• Huaihua 

• Yongzhou 

• Hengyang 

• Changsha 

SICHUAN 

• Jiuzhaigou 

• Nanchong 

• Jiuzhaigou 

• Guangyuan 

• Chengdu 

• Panzhihua 

• Huzhou 

• Ganzi 

• Daocheng 

• Mianyang 

• Liangshan 

• Dazhou 

• Hongyuan 

GUIZHOU 

• Liupanshui 

• Qianxinan 

• Qiandongnan 

• Anshun 

• Bijie 

• Guiyang 

• Zunyi 

• Tongren 

• Liping 

• Qiannanzhou 

YUNNAN 

• Lincang 

• Lijiang 

• Baoshan 

• Dali 

• Dehong 

• Wenshan 

• Kunming 

• Zhaotong 

• Puer 

• Tengchong 

• Xishuangbanna 

• Diqing 

• Ninglang 

• Cangyuan 




JILIN 

• Yanbian 

• Tonghua 

• Changchun 

• Baishan 

• Baicheng 

• Huolin Gol 

• Ulanqab 

• Zhalantun 

• Ejin 

HEILONGJIANG 

• Yichan 

• Jiamusi 

• Harbin 

• Daqing 

• Fuyuan 

• Jiagedaqi 

• Mohe 

• Mudanjiang 

• Jixi 

• Heihe 

• Qiqihar 

• Alxa Left Banner 

• Alxa Right Banner 

• Ulanhot 

• Wuhai 

• Erenhot 

• Baotou 

• Hulun Buir 

• Hohhot 

• Bayannur 

• Manzhouli 

• Chifeng 

• Tongliao 

• Ordos 

• Xilin Gol 

• Hinggan 

LIAOLING 

TIANJIN 

• Tianjin 

BEIJING 

• Beijing Capital 

• Beijing Nanyuan 

HEBEI 

• Tangshan 

• Zhangjiakou 

• Chengde 

• Shijiazhuang 

• Qinhuangdao 

• Handan 

• Dandong 

• Dalian 

• Chaoyang 

• Shenyang 

• Yingkou 

• Jinzhou 

• Anshan 

• Changhai 

SHANDONG 

GUANGXI 

• Beihai 

• Nanning 

• Liuzhou 

• Guilin 

• Hechi 

• Baise 

• Wuzhou 

HAINAN 

• Sanya 

• Sansha 

• Haikou 

• Qionghai 

GUANGDONG 

• Foshan 

• Guangzhou 

• Huizhou 

• Jieyang 

• Meizhou 

• Shenzhen 

• Zhanjiang 

• Zhuhai 

JIANGXI 

• Jian 

• Nanchang 

• Yichun 

• Jingdezhen 

• Ganzhou 

FUJIAN 

• Xiamen 

• Nanping 

• Quanzhou 

• Fuzhou 

• Longyan 

• Sanming 

SHANGHAI 

• Pudong 

• Hongqiao 

ZHEJIANG 

• Jinhua 

• Taizhou 

• Ningbo 

• Hangzhou 

• Wenzhou 

• Zhoushan 

• Quzhou 


• Nanyang 

• Luoyang 

• Zhengzhou 

ANHUI 

• Hefei 

• Anqing 

• Chizhou 

• Fuyang 

• Huangshan 

JIANGSU 

• Nanjing 

• Nantong 

• Changzhou 

• Xuzhou 

• Yangzhou 

• Wuxi 

• Huaian 

• Yancheng 

• Lianyungang 

SHANXI 

• Lvliang 

• Datong 

• Taiyuan 

• Xinzhou 

• Yuncheng 

• Changzhi 

• Linfen 

• Dongying 

• Linyi 

• Weihai 

• Rizhao 

• Jinan 

• Jining 

• Weifang 

• Yantai 

• Qingdao 

Note: Alxa Right, Alxa Left and Ejin Banner are commuter airports, 

operating aircraft with 30 to 60 seats. 


| 51


GA AIRPORTS 

As of June 30, 2017, there are 74 CAAC approved GA airports, with eight located in the Guangdong Province. 

Shandong Province follows with 6 GA airports, while Beijing and Jiangsu Province both have 5 airports. GA 

airports usually serve flights with the following purposes: pilot training, powerline patrol, sightseeing, scientific 

investigation, entertainment, air show, aero-surveying, forestry and protection and agriculture. Under extraordinary 

occasions, GA flights and scheduled flights can use the facility simultaneously. 

Shihezi 

Xilinhot Bayin Baolige 

Urad Middle Banner 

Shijiazhuang Luancheng 

Datong 

Huangye 

Yinchuan Yueya Lake 

Yanchi GA 

Anyang Northern Suburb 

Pingyin Xiaozhi GA 

Pucheng GA 

Shangjie 

Hubei Xiantao 

Suizhou Lishan GA 

Shashi 

Jingmen Zhanghe 

Fixed-Wing General Airport 

Heliport 

Taipingsi GA 

Guanghan 

Xinjin 

Suining 

According to the latest version of the government-approved 

Investment Project Catalogue, the approval examination 

process is currently passed down to the provincial department. 

Nonetheless, the examination has to pass through several 

government entities: military, CAAC, provincial Department 

of Environmental Protection, provincial Water Resources 

Department, provincial Office of Land and Resources, provincial 

Development and Reform Commission, Earthquake Management 

Department, Cultural Relics Investigation Team, Surveying and 

Mapping Institute and Prospecting Team and others. 

With encouragement for aviation development and local 

government urban planning, a portion of GA airports are under 

planning to relocate and upgrade. Other GA airport innovations 

and expansion are made upon needs, but are required to maintain 

the capability to serve the GA industry. 

Apart from CAAC approved airports, other kinds of airports are also 

in operation in the country. There are more than 421 GA airports and 

temporary landing points, serving the purpose of agriculture, pilot 

training, aircraft test flight and other mission segments. 



Genhe Aolu Guya 

Moergen GA 

Pinggu Jinhaihu 

Dingling 

Beijing Miyun 

Beijing Beianhe 

Beijing Badalin 

Binhai Douzhuang 

Tianjin Tanggu 

Binhai Eastern GA 

Beidahuang 

Jagdaqi 

Baicheng GA 

Yushu GA 

Faku Caihu 

Anshan GA 

Hebei Pingquan 

Hebei Qianan 

Panjin Chenjia 

Hainan Xiqing 

Hainan Eastern GA 

China Southern Sanya 

Luoding 

Zhongshan Sanjiao 

Guangzhou Shawan 

Shenzhen Nantou 

Zhuhai Jiuzhou 

Yangjiang Heshan 

Zhanjiang Xintang 

Zhanjiang Potou 

Ningguo Qinglongwan 

Jingdezhen Lumeng 

Jiujiang Weijia 

Ji’an Tongping GA 

Fuzhou Zhuzhi 

Xiamen Xiajinwan 

Nanchang 

Shanghai 

Huashan Hospital 

Longhua 

Tianzi Lake 

Jiande GA 

Zhoushan Wudao 

Dongyang GA 

Xuzhou Agricultural 

Nanjing 

Zhenjiang Dalu GA 

Jiangyin 

Ruohang Suzhou 

Binzhou Dagao 

Penglai 

Dezhou Pingyuan GA 

Shandong Laiwu 

Jinan Agricultural 



AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT 

According to the 13th Five-Year Plan, the number of 

GA airports will exceed 500 by 2020; while under the 

provincial and enterprise planning, there will be 578 new 

GA airports built between 2017 and 2020, with investment of over 

140 billion RMB (US$21B). By the end of 2020, the number of inoperation 

GA airports (including A1 and A2 type) is expected to 

be over 700. 

Civil airports can be divided into commercial service airport and 

GA airport. GA airports are regarded as an airport that is neither 

for military use, nor serving scheduled flights. GA airport can be 

categorized into A and B type, in which type A is opening to public 

and type B is non-public. 

Among the currently under-construction A1 and A2 GA airports, 

their construction sites include major agricultural production 

districts, forest regions, certificated 5A tourist attractions, vast 

territories with traffic inconvenience, GA industrial zones, training 

schools, etc. A3 GA airport construction points include highway 

service stops (helipad), first class hospitals (helipad), qualified 

tourism areas, agricultural production regions, etc. 

GA airport and infrastructure insufficiencies are headwinds to 

China GA industry development. The scale of the GA operation 

used to be relatively small, causing a low investment intention. 

The unsatisfying level of deregulation causes under-development 

in GA airport infrastructure and slowing down the overall GA 

development progress. In the 12th Five-Year Plan, government 

encourages enterprises to build more GA airports; while in the 

13th Five-Year Plan, a target of having 500 GA airports is clearly 

established, as well as a higher level of deregulation. 

47+3+50+ G 

Xinjiang 

3 

100+ G 

Tibet 

47 

5+1+94+ G 

5 1 

Qinghai 

14+1+85+ 

1 

G 

Gansu 

Within the vast territories, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai and Inner 

Mongolia, the importance of GA flight emerges. The northwestern 

area is massive, for example, Qinghai is eight times 

bigger than France with an area of 720,000sqkm. The most 

eastern and western sides of Qinghai are 1,000km apart, and the 

vertical distance between Xining and Haixi Perfecture is 400km. 

The center is a large piece of “No Man’s Land” and it would take six 

to seven hours to travel by driving. If the commuting time can be 

reduced to one hour with the GA flight, the regional convenience 

will be greatly increased. In some scenic areas, sightseeing air 

tours can be a new form of touristic activity for the public. The 

distance in the remote area imposes obstacle to the rescue team 

of in the event of a natural disaster. The government, therefore, 

pushes the GA airports to a strategic level, with both motivating 

the economy and boosting employment, as well as opening the 

industry for military use. 

By 2020, airport number 13 planned to reach 260. New airports 

such as Beijing Daxing International, Chengdu Tianfu International, 

Pearl River Delta, and Qingdao Jiaodong International airports, 

along with several others, will help solve the growing demand for 

civil aviation. 

Note: The map includes A1 and A2 level GA airports, and commercial 

service airport planned for 2017-2020. 



Heilongjiang 

21+2+77+ G 

21 

2 

24+3+73+ 

Sichuan 

24 

G3 

51+3+46+ G 

Yunnan 

3 


31 

3+1+96+ G 

Ningxia 

Chongqing 

51 

21+2+77+ G 

Guizhou 

35+4+61+ G 

2+3+95+ G 

Shaanxi 

21 

2 3 

5 

5+3+92+ 

3 

G 

2 

4 

35 

19+1+80+ G 

Guangxi 

12+1+87+ G 

Shanxi 

3 

19 

19+2+79+ G 

Hubei 

19 

19+1+80+ G 

25+1+74+ G 100+ G 

12 

1 

Hebei 

2 

Beijing 

25 

11+5+84+ G 

14+7+79+ G 

1 

Hunan 

Henan 

14 

7 

Guangdong 

11 

5 

1 

19 

1 

33+3+64+ G 

15+1+84+ G 

Jiangxi 

Tianjin 

4+2+94+ G 

4 2 

Anhui 

15 

1 

19+2+79+ G 

19 

2 

10+4+86+ G 

Fujian 

8 

8+3+89+ 

3 

G 

Jilin 

1+1+98+ G 

10 

4 

11 

Liaoning 

71+29+ G 

Jiangsu 

37+2+61+ G 

Zhejiang 

71 

100+ G 

33 

3 

Shandong 

2 

37 

Shanghai 

Number of Commercial Service Airports 

Number of GA Airports 

14+6+80+ G 

Hainan 

14 

6 


| 55


AVIATION INDUSTRIAL ZONES 

Province City Name Province City Name 

GUANGDONG 

Guangzhou 

Guangzhou Airport Economic 

SHANGHAI 

Shanghai 

Shanghai Linggang Pilot Free Trade Zone 

Demonstration Zone 

Shanghai 

Qingpu Industrial Park 

Zhuhai 

Zhuhai Economic and 

Technological Development Zone 

YUNNAN 

Kunming 

Kunming Helicopter GA 

Integrated Service Centre 

SHANDONG 

Linyi 

Linyi Airport Economic Zone 

Weihai 

Jinan 

Binzhou 

Weifang 

Yantai 

Yantai 

Weihai Industrial Park 

Jinan Industrial Park 

Binzhou Dagao GA Industrial Park 

Zhucheng Industrial Park 

Yantai Industrial Park 

Nanshan Industrial Park 

INNER 

MONGOLIA 

Baotou 

Huheaote 

Chifeng 

Hulunbeier 

Eerduosi 

Baotou Zhongxiang GA Industrial Park 

Hohhot GA Industrial Park 

Chifeng GA Industrial Park 

Dalai Nur Industrial Park 

Ordos Equipment Manufacture Base 

Laiwu 

Qingdao 

Laiwu Aero Sports Base 

Qingdao Aerotropolis 

BEIJING 

Beijing 

Beijing 

Beijing Tianzhu Airport Industrial Zone 

Zhongguan Airport Economy Zone 

GUANGXI 

Nanning 

Qingzhou 

Nanning GA Industrial Park 

Qinzhou Free Trade GA Industrial Park 

Beijing 

Beijing 

Beijing 

Pinggu General Aviation Industrial Park 

Miyun General Aviation Industrial Park 

Beijing Aviation Industrial Park 

JIANGSU 

Nanjing 

Nantong 

Nanjing Industrial Park 

Nantong Industrial Park 

JILIN 

Jilin 

Jilin Industrial Park 

Yixing 

Changzhou 

Wuxi 

Wuxi 

Kunshan 

Huaian 

Yixing GA Industrial Park 

Changzhou Aviation Industrial Park 

Yixing GA Industrial Park 

Wuxi Airport Industrial Park Science 

and Technology Business Center 

Kunshan Industrial Park 

Huai’an Airport Industrial Park 

SICHUAN 

Chengdu 

Chengdu 

Chengdu 

Zigong 

Zigong 

Chengdu Aviation Economic and 


Chengdu GA Industrial Park 

Chengfei Aeronautics Hi-tech Industrial Park 

Beichuan GA Industrial Park 

Chuannan GA Industrial Park 

Yancheng 

Jianhu Industrial Park 

Yancheng 

Suzhou 

Jiangsu Lantian Aerospace Industrial Park 

Kunshan Dianshanhu Aeronautics 

TIANJIN 

Tianjin 

Tianjin Airport Economic Area 

JIANGXI 

Zhenjiang 

Nancang 

Industrial Park 

Zhenjiang Industrial Park 

Nanchang Economic and 


ZHEJIANG 

Jiaxing 

Ningbo 

Shaoxing 

Huzhou 

Jiaxing Aviationand Spaceflight 


Hangzhou Bay GA Industrial Park 

Shaoxing Industrial Park 

Deqing GA Park 

HEBEI 

Chengde 

Shijiazhuang 

Chengde Aviation Economic and 

Technological Industrial Park 

Shijiazhuang GA Industrial Park 

ANHUI 

Hefei 

Wuhu 

Hefei Industrial Park 

Wuhu industrial Park 


Anyang 

Zhengzhou 

Anyang GA Industrial Park 

Zhengzhou General Aviation Industry 

SHANXI 

Shanxi 

Datong 

Dalian GA Industrial Park 

Yanggao GA Industrial Park 

Zhengzhou 

Test Area 

Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone 

HUBEI 

Wuhan 

Wuhan Economic and Technological 

Development Zone- GA and Satellite 

NINGXIA Yinchuan Yinchuan GA Industrial Park 

Jingmen 


Jingmen Industrial Park 



Province City Name 

HUNAN Zhuzhou Changzhutan Aerospace Economic 

and Technical Develoment Zone 

Zhuzhou Zhuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial 

Development Zone 

Changsha Huanghe GA Town 

FUJIAN Xiamen Xiamen Aide Aviation Industrial Park 

Fuzhou Fuzhou GA Industrial Park 

Fuzhou Fuqing GA Industrial Park 

GUIZHOU Anshun Anshun Economic and Technological 

Development Zone 

Anshun Anshun National Hi-Tech Industrial 

Base of Civil Aviation Industrial 

LIAONING Chaoyang Chaoyang GA Park 

Shenyang Shenyang National Aviation 

Economic Zone 

Shenyang Faku GA Park 

Panjin Panjin GA Industrial Park 

CHONGQING Chongqing Liangjiang General Aviation Industrial Park 

Chongqing Dazu GA Industrial Park 

SHAANXI Xianyang Xiangyang Aeronautics Aviation 


Shangluo Danfeng GA Industrial Park 

Baoji Baoji Training and Air Equipments 

Manufacture Park 

Hanzhong Industrial Park 

Hanzhong Hanchung Industrial Park 

Winan Pucheng GA Industrial Park 

Xi’an Xi’an Yanliang National Aviation Hi-Tech 

Industrial Base 

Xi’an AVIC Industrial Park 

HEILONGJIANG Zhaodong Zhaodong Lower Airspace 

Economy Zone 

Harbin Harbin Aviation Economic and 

Technlological Development Zone 

Aviation industrial zones include airport economic zones 

and GA industrial zones. A GA industrial zone is an 

incorporation of commercial flight, aircraft manufacture, 

aircraft maintenance, aeronautical material and parts production, 

aerospace technology research and development, pilot training, 

scientific experiment, aviation logistic, air show, air rescue, 

sightseeing air tour, meteorological investigation, artificial 

weather modification, agriculture, aeroclub, etc. Meanwhile, 

supporting facilities such as airport, MRO, FBO, residential area 

and theme park are also located in an industrial zone. According 

to the statistics provided by China Vast, an industrial urban 

development company, 116 above-county-level cities are currently 

planning or constructing more than 170 industrial zones, with a 

total investment exceeding RMB1.5T (approximately US$225B). 

In general, building GA industrial zones encompasses three 

stages: (1) site selection, (2) facility investment, and (3) entry of 

business. Recently, GA industrial zone construction has attracted 

great interest from different investors, and become a popular 

investment project. Nonetheless, there is a lack of thorough 

understanding towards the nature and structure of GA industrial 

zones, which is reflected by several prevailing problems. Firstly, 

the construction restraints are not taken into consideration 

during the site selection process for some industrial zones. Flight 

take-off, test flight, maintenance and noise pollution will have 

negative impacts on the surroundings. Secondly, the planned 

annual production quantity for some of the zones is 1,000 by 

2025 or 2030. This will potentially put the industry in a blowout 

state and create excessive supply. Eventually, the industry may 

suffer from redundancy and waste of resources due to faulty 

overall planning. 

Airport economic zone centers at large-scale hub airports, with 

surrounding districts being assigned as free-trade zones. This 

layout can form an aviation-related business cluster, to push 

forward the economy in the airport area. Currently, the in-operation 

airport economic zones include, Zhengzhou Airport Economic 

Zone, Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone, and Tianjin Airport 

Economic Zone. 

Data Source: China GA Development Report and ASG 


| 57


FBO AND MRO FACILITIES 

HARBIN 

33 

34 

SHENYANG 46 

2 

13 

14 15 16 17 18 

19 

BEIJING 

49 SHIJIAZHUANG 

35 JINAN 

10 40 41 42 43 44 45 

SHANGHAI 

TIANJIN 12 50 51 52 

BINZHOU 20 

QINGDAO 39 

6 

55 

XI'AN 

56 ZHENJIANG 

26 27 GUANGHAN 

54 

XIANGYANG 

NINGBO 38 

22 

23 24 

CHENGDU 

HANGZHOU 

9 

25 CHONGQING 

7 21 CHANGSHA 

JINGDAZHEN 

36 37 

1 28 29 30 31 

8 GUILIN 

4 NANNING 

57 ZHUHAI 

GUANGZHOU 

XIAMEN 53 

SHENZHEN 11 47 48 

3 

32 

HAIKOU 

SANYA 

5 

City FBO MRO 

1 Baiyun Airport BAC 

13 

2 Beijing Capital Jet 

14 

3 Deer Jet 

4 Deer Jet 

5 Deer Jet 

6 Deer Jet 

7 Deer Jet 

8 Deer Jet 

9 Deer Jet 

10 Hawker Pacific Shanghai 

11 Shenzhen Joyee 

12 Tianjin Airport BAC 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

AMECO 

Beijing Airines 

Beijing Dingshi GA 

Beijing Capital 

Deer Jet 

Gulfstream Beijing 

STAECO 

Shandong Hairuo GA 

Changsha Jielian 

AMECO 

Dachuan GA 

SMECO 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 


CAFUC 


Guangzhou Champion 

GAMECO 

H&P GA 


HNA Aviation Technik 

AVIC (Harbin) 

China Flying Dragon 

STAECO 

AVIC (Changhe) 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

45 

46 

47 

48 

Changhe Agusta 

GDAT 


Boeing Shanghai 

Deer Jet 


Hawker Pacific Shanghai 

Kingwing GA 

STARCO 

China Southern 

Avion Pacific 

COHC GAMEC 

49 

50 

51 

52 

53 

54 

55 

56 

57 

Cessna-Avic Aircraft 

Bombardier Tianjijn 

Eastern GA 

ExecuJet Haite 

HAECO 


China Flight GA 

Zhenjiang Aerochine 

Metrojet 


With 477 business jets as of December 2016, Greater 

China has evolved into the regional leader of business 

aviation. Over the last decade, an increasing number of 

large corporations and the growing number of HNWIs in Greater 

China have come to realize the value of business jets, resulting in 

the region operating 41% of the total Asia-Pacific fleet. 

To serve this rapidly-expanding fleet is no easy feat, requiring 

help from all angles. The Government and private companies are 

particularly interested in Beijing, which “accounts for 50% of all 

movements in China,” explained Million Air CEO Roger Woolsey, in 

an interview to Aviation International News. “There’s between 35 

and 50 corporate jets a day coming into the airport.” 

A planned new international airport — Beijing Daxing International 

Airport — is to cater to increasing traffic in the area. Expected to 

serve Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, the airport, to be complete in 2019, 

will free up capacity at current airports and provide considerable 

support to the business aviation industry. 

The new airport is part of the CAAC aim to have 74 new civil 

transport airports by 2020, which was outlined in China’s 13th 

Five-Year Plan (2016-2020). In the meantime, business aviation 

in China is served by four full-service FBOs: Beijing CJet, Shanghai 

Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre (Shanghai 

Hawker Pacific), Shenzhen Joyee FBO and Yitong Business 

Aviation Service Co. at the Guangzhou Baiyun International 

Airport, which is currently under construction with a completion 

date of year end 2017. 

Located at the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Shanghai Hawker 

Pacific is expanding with a second hangar, a VIP lounge 

and parking slots, along with plans for a full-service FBO at 

Pudong Airport. 

The new Yitong FBO, owned by the Guangdong Airport Authority, 

will feature a 88,000sqm parking apron, 20,000sqm of hangar 

space and a 5,800sqm business aviation terminal. 

China-based operator Deer Jet is an active participant in the FBO 

market, through ground handling, still requiring the use of an 

independent business aviation terminal and CIQ service. Zhuhai 

Jinwan Airport has also committed to providing a full-service FBO. 

Maintenance facilities for business jets are available in Beijing, 

Jinan, Shanghai, Tianjin, Xi’an and Zhuhai, as well as facilities for 

civil helicopters. In 2017, the Tianjin Airport Economic Area and 

Bombardier Business Aircraft opened one of the newest service 

centers in China, supporting the Global, Challenger 604, 605 and 

850 series. 

FBO’S FACILITIES AND SERVICES 

1 

Under Construction 

2 

Fuel Arrangement Services 

FBO NAME 

AIRCRAFT HANGARAGE 

ON-SITE CIQ 

VIP LOUNGES 

AIRCRAFT HANDLING 

AIRCRAFT REFUELING 2 

Baiyun Airport BAC 1 

● ● ● 

Beijing Capital Jet 

● ● ● ● 

Deer Jet 

● ● ● ● 

Hawker Pacific 

● ● ● ● ● 

Shenzhen Joyee 

● ● ● 

Tianjin Airport BAC 

● ● ● ● 


● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● 

● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● 

● ● ● ● 

MRO CAPABILITIES BY MODEL 

CITY 

ABBREVIATION 

● Line Maintenance (Fixed-Wing)/Field Maintenance (Helicopter) 

● Base Maintenance (Fixed-Wing)/Overhaul (Helicopter) 

● Both 

BJ 

BZ 

CD 

CS 

GZ 

Beijing 

Binzhou 

Chengdu 

Changsha 

Guangzhou 

AIRBUS 

ACJ318 

ACJ319 

ACJ320 

AMECO (BJ) 

AMECO (CD) 

Beijing Airlines 

BJ Dingshi GA 

Boeing SC (SH) 

Bombardier (TJ) 


China Southern 


Deer Jet (BJ) 

Deer Jet (SH) 

ExecuJet Haite 

GAMECO 

Gulfstream (BJ) 

HAECO (XM) 

Hawker Pacific 

HNA Aviation 

Metrojet (ZH) 

SMECO 

STAECO (BJ) 

STAECO (JN) 

STARCO (SH) 

JN 

NB 

SH 

TJ 

ZH 

Jinan 

Ningbo 

Shanghai 

Tianjin 

Zhuhai 

ACJ321 

BOEING 

BBJ1 

BBJ2 

BBJ3 

BOMBARDIER 

Learjet 60/60XR 

CRJ200 

Challenger 300 





Global Express 

Global Express XRS 

Global 5000 

Global 6000 

DASSAULT 

Falcon 7X 

Falcon 8X 

Falcon 900 

Falcon 2000 

EMBRAER 

Legacy 600 

Legacy 650 

Lineage 1000 

GULFSTREAM 

G200 

G280 

GIV/GIV-SP/G300/G400 

GV 

G350/G450 

G500/G550 

G650/G650ER 

TEXTRON 

Citation III/VI/VII 

Citation XLS/+ 

Citation X/+ 

Citation CJ1/+ 

Citation Sovereign/+ 

Hawker 750 

Hawker 800 A/B/850XP 

Hawker 900XP 

Hawker 4000

● 

● ● 

● ● 

● 

● ● ● ● 

● 

● 

● ● 

● ● 

● ● 

● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● 

● 

● ● ● 

● ● 

● 

● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● ● ● ● ● 

● ● 

● ● 


Aerochine Aviation 

AVIC Changhe 

Avion Pacific 

Beijing Capital 

CAFUC 

Cessna-Avic 

Champion 




COHC GAMEC 

Dachuan GA (SC) 

Dingshi GA (BJ) 

Eastern GA 

Flying Dragon 

GDAT (NB) 

H&P GA Service 

AVIC Harbin 

Hairuo GA (BZ) 

Heliflite 

Jielian (CS) 

Jiutian 

Changhe Agusta 

Kingwing GA 

Ruoer GA 

Hubei Sky-Blue 

Suilian GA (GZ) 


Yanxiang (SH) 

AIRBUS 

H120 

H125 

H135 

H215 

AS365 

AVIC 

AC311 

AC313 

H410 

Z9/Z9A 

BELL 

206 

407 

429 

LEONARDO 

AW109 

AW119 

AW139 

MD 

MD 500/520 

MD 600 

ROBINSON 

R22 

R44 

R66 

SIKORSKY 

S76 

S300 

269C 

C++ 

TEXTRON 

King Air 300/350 

Cessna 172 

Cessna 182 

Cessna 205 

Cessna 206 

Cessna 207 

Cessna 400 

Caravan 

Grand Caravan 

Baron 

Bonanza 

Data Source: ASG’s ASIA PACIFIC REGION INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT 2017 

Note: For complete version of the report, please visit ASG’s website: media.asianskygroup.com 


TRAINING SCHOOLS 

AND PILOTS 

Fixed-Wing Fleet by OEM 

Socata 14 (3%) 

AVIC 26 (5%) 

Piper 40 (7%) 

Cirrus 42 (7%) 

Diamond 217 (38%) 

38+38+7+7+5+3+2+G 

572 

Note: Only includes the fleet of Part 141 training schools within China. 

Rotary-Wing Fleet by OEM 

Bell 6 (3%) 

AutoGyro 8 (4%) 

Guimbal 13 (7%) 

Schweizer 39 (21%) 

60+22+7+4+3+4+G 

187 

Others 13 (2%) 

Cessna 220 (38%) 

Others 7 (4%) 

Robinson 114 (61%) 

To meet the growing demand of expanding fleets, both 

for commercial airlines and general aviation companies, 

the number of Part 141 training schools within China has 

increased from 12 in 2012 to 22 in 2017. To capture the demand 

for Chinese pilots, training schools outside of China that meet the 

CAAC Part 141 requirement have also increased from 23 in 2012 

to 27 in 2016. Currently, the number of registered student pilot is 

4,853, an increase by 32% since 2012. 

As of August 2016, there were 20 training schools approved 

by the CAAC, with China Civil Aviation Regulations (CCAR) Part 

141 standards. In 2017 there have been two new additions for 

civil pilot schools: Sichuan Longhao and Beijing Reignwood 

Star. There are more than 80 other general aviation operators 

that can provide part 61 or 91 training programs, many of which 

offer helicopter courses. However, of those 80 general aviation 

operators, slightly less than half provide training courses to the 

public. Many of these companies with part 61 or 91 licenses only 

provide training to their own staff. 

The 22 Part 141 training schools operate 572 fixed-wing aircraft 

for training purpose. Cessna and Diamond have 76% of the 

market share. Cessna has 220 aircraft and Diamond has 217 

aircraft with major models being DA40 and DA42. Cirrus and 

Piper rank at third and fourth with 42 and 40 aircraft and Chinese 

OEM AVIC follows, accounting for 5% (26) of the total fleet. 

The rotary-wing training fleet in this section includes all 

helicopters dedicated for training, including the fleet of non-Part 

141 training schools such as Part 91 general aviation companies. 

Of the 187 helicopters, 114 (61%) are Robinson aircraft. Schweizer 

and Guimbal follow with 39 (21%) and 13 (7%) aircraft. A majority 



Top Training School’s Fleet by Model 

FIXED-WING 

ROTARY-WING 

Cessna 172 

Diamond DA40 

Diamond DA42 

Cirrus SR20 

PA-44-180 

211 Robinson R44 

65 

71+0+54+0+18+0+16+0+13 

39 

Top Training School by Fleet 

165 Robinson R22 

47 

44 Schweizer S-300 

38 

40 

Cabri G2 

MTOsport 

65+0+47+0+38+0+13+0+8 

8 

13 

FIXED-WING 

ROTARY-WING 

CAFUC 


Phoenix Flying College 

Civil Aviation University of China 



Zhuhai AVIC Flight Academy 

Xinjiang Tianxiang Aviation College 

Shandong Nanshan Flying College 

71+0+16+0+16+0+14+0+11 +0+10+0+9+0+8+0+7 

of the helicopter training fleet are piston helicopters due to their 

fuel efficiency compared to turbine. 

Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC) has the 

largest training fleet, with 217 fixed-wing aircraft. Phoenix 

Flying College and Hainan Aviation Academy each follow with 

48 aircraft. For rotary-wing training, Guangdong Baiyun GA 

has the most helicopters for training with 17 aircraft, China 

Flying Dragon GA and Guangzhou Suilian GA follow with 10 

and 9 helicopters. In terms of fleet model, Cessna 172 has the 

largest fleet number with 211 aircraft, Diamond DA40 follows 

with 165 aircraft. For rotary-wing training fleet, Robinson R44 

and R22 account for 60% of the total fleet. Schweizer S-300 

ranks the third with 38 (20%) aircraft. 

31 

28 

24 

22 

48 

48 

42 

32 

217 

Guangdong Baiyun GA 




Shandong Qixiang GA 

CAFUC 

Shanghai Suxiang GA 


Anyang GA 

Ruoer GA 

17+0+10+0+9+0+9+0+9+0+8+0+8+0+8+0+6+0+6 

To be certified with a Private Pilot License (PPL), candidates 

must be at least 17 years old, and attain 40 flying hours including 

at least 20 training hours with an instructor and 10 solo hours. A 

Commercial Pilot License (CPL) requires students to be at least 

18 years old and obtain at least 250 flying hours on a single/ 

multi-engine aircraft or 150 hours on a helicopter. For an Airline 

Transport Pilot License (ATPL) on an airplane, students must 

complete 1,500 hours and 1,000 hours for a helicopter. Typical 

cost for a PPL in Greater China is 30,000 USD, while the cost for 

a CPL is 90,000 USD, which includes the cost of PPL courses. 

For more information on flight training schools in Asia Pacific, please 

refer to ASIA-PACIFIC TRAINING REPORT 2016 

6 

6 

8 

8 

8 

10 

9 

9 

9 

17 



PILOT OUTLOOK 

According to Boeing’s Annual China Market Outlook, 

airlines in China will spend more than US$1 trillion on 

new airplanes over the next two decades to account 

for the country’s demand for air travel. Air traffic over China is 

set to almost quadruple in the next two decades, making it the 

world’s busiest market, according to Airbus Group. Faced with 

a local shortage of experienced pilots, the industry in China 

has made news as it looked to satisfy the demand. 

As of the end of 2016, there were a total of 50,504 Chinese pilot 

licenses issued — a stark increase from 27,807, just five years 

earlier in 2011. The total number in 2016 includes 3,090 private 

pilot licenses (PPL), 26,712 commercial pilot’s license (CPL) 

s, 104 multi-crew pilot licenses, and 19,941 air transport pilot’s 

licenses (ATPL)s, according to the Annual Report of Chinese Pilot 

Development 2016. 

Projected Airline Pilots by 2036 

81,720 

8,142 

89,862 

Pilot demand for increased fleet 

Retirement 

Total number of new pilot needed 

Competition between airlines is increasing around the world. 

In China, the emergence of low-cost carriers is threatening the 

market position of the “Big Three” airlines of China. When airlines 

can no longer guarantee profit, they are less likely to invest on 

cadet pilot programs. The lack of upfront investment on pilots 

has since created problems not only on major international 

airlines but also smaller one. 

Commercial airlines are now more likely to hire self-funded pilots 

with sufficient flying hours and corresponding type ratings, 

which may intensify the pilot shortage problem in the GA sector 

of China. While the benefits and career prospects of the large 

airlines attract the top tiers of cadet pilot and commercial pilot 

programs, regional airlines and GA airlines suffer from a reduced 

pool of pilots. 

The pilot demand/supply imbalance problem has been making 

headlines in the China aviation industry. Worldwide, the industry 

needs 617,000 new pilots by 2035 to meet the projected growth 

in pilot demand. Approximately 90,000 pilots of the worldwide 

demand will be required for China — 16% of the global demand 

according to ASG’s estimation. 

With more than 6,810 new aircraft deliveries in China by 2035, 

averaging 12 pilots per aircraft, the total demand for commercial 

airline pilots by 2035 is 81,720. Coupled with the 8,142 retiring 

pilots by 2035, the total demand for pilots comes to 89,862. 

China would need an extra 4,403 pilots per year to meet the 

demand for airline pilots, an 11% growth annually. In 2012, China 

only produced 3,574 pilot graduates, however, the industry has 

since benefited from an increase in Part 141 training schools 

within China — from 12 in 2012 to 22 in 2017. Registered pilots of 

all categories increased from 31,381 to 50,504 and pilot growth, 

as of 2016 is 4,981. 

Airline Pilot Demand and Supply 

4,403 

4,981 

New pilots needed per year 

Pilot growth in 2016 

Why do we still face a pilot shortage problem in general aviation 

when the average growth rate of pilot graduates is higher than 

the projected annual additional pilot demand? 

At the current rate of pilot production, there are too many first 

officers in the commercial airlines. The transition period from 

first officer to captain, which requires at least 1,500 flying hours 

with an ATPL license, has risen from five to ten years, due to 

insufficient flying hours from high competition. However, these 

pilots are unwilling to move to the GA sector because of low 

salary and job prospects with less quality packages. 



Historical Pilot Supply Growth 

Total Number of Pilots 

Growth 

60,000 

50,000 

40,000 

+4,124 

+4,376 

+5,612 

+4,981 

30,000 

20,000 

10,000 

0 

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 

Data Source: China Civil Aviation Pilot Development Annual Report 2016 

According to Wang Zhiqing, Deputy Head of the CAAC, the 

difference could be as much as 10 times, while the maximum 

hours of airline pilots can be 100 hours per month. In the US, 

pilots working at international commercial airlines earn three 

times more than turboprop pilots. 

This creates a bizarre phenomenon in the China aviation sector: 

Too many airline pilots but too few GA pilots. While the growth of 

GA aircraft was at an explosive 16% annual growth in 2016, the 

insufficient number of GA pilots is unable to support the growth. 

The growth rate of total flying hours then falls behind the GA 

aircraft growth rate. 

There is an 8.2% difference in historical annual growth rate and 

required annual growth rate of GA pilot. GA aircraft, however, 

only has a 2.1% gap to meet. The difference shows that the GA 

company in China has biasedly focused on purchasing aircraft to 

achieve growth in general aviation without developing the most 

fundamental factor in the sector, the GA pilot. To tackle the 

problem, general aviation companies have started to focus more 

on developing their own GA pilot to meet the demand in GA pilot. 

Historical Annual Growth Rate 

GA Pilots 

2.9% 

11.1% 

2015 2016 2042 

Required Annual Growth Rate 

Data Source: Annual Report of Chinese Airlines Pilot 

Development 2016, U.S. Department of Labour 

GA Aircraft 

16.1% 18.3% 

Outlined in China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, the target growth rate of 

GA aircraft and GA pilots is 17.5% and 15.5%, respectively. When 

compared to 2016 data from the US-based General Aviation 

Manufacturers Association, it would take 26 years for China 

to meet the US standards of today at 11.1% and 18.3% annual 

growth rate for GA pilot and aircraft. 

2015 2016 2042 

Data Source: CAAC, CARNOC; GAMA 2016 


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China GA Report EN

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