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Sichuan magnate keen on private aircraft

By Gao Yuan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-10-15 15:48

A magnate from Sichuan province expressed his intention of purchasing a private aircraft to distributors, stimulated by the openness of China's low-altitude airspace, Chengdu Evening Post reported Friday.

The Chinese government has given the nod to open the airspace below 1,000 meters for personal aircrafts, the report said.

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The go-ahead will be implemented first in Beijing, Lanzhou and three other cities and will be expanded to the entire country after 2011, Shanghai Securities News reported on Oct 14.

Analysts say that the opening process will spur China's newborn private aircraft market.

China's growing population of billionaires will be the major consumer group of private flights.

It usually costs about 200,000 yuan ($29,500) to gain a private flying license, and the expense goes up to 300,000 yuan ($45,000) for each 100-hour flight, Chengdu Evening Post reported.

The country's civil aviation market will grow to 1 trillion yuan ($150 billion) by 2012, Beijing Business Today said, citing the Civil Aviation Administration's forecast. The forecast also says the number of private aircraft will surpass 2,000 by 2020.

However, the newspaper's report argues that the 1,000-meter clearance can only meet the demand for short-distance flights. Longer flights usually need higher altitude to guarantee safety.