Local guidelines support industry

As one of the major manufacturing cities in the country, Qingdao has prominent advantages in developing its aviation industry.

The city government has implemented a range of measures to promote the development of the industry and has committed its support as part of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

In June 2014, the city issued guidelines and highlighted key sectors for development, including aeronautical design and services for manufacturing and aviation.

In August 2014, the city issued a plan for growing the aviation economy, releasing principles and goals for the development of the industry.

In June, Qingdao authorities produced a document to promote the industry's development, making the city the first in the country to do so after the State Council released guidelines on the topic.

The city will launch more than 10 intercontinental air routes and handle 26 million passengers, as well as 300,000 metric tons of cargo annually by 2020, according to the document. The annual revenue of the city's aviation industry will reach 80 billion yuan ($11.7 billion) and the number of major enterprises in the industry will exceed 30, the document said.

By the end of 2015, the city had 12 enterprises engaged in general aviation operations, seven of which have received approval from the national civil aviation watchdog, while the rest await review. There are also six aircraft manufacturers in the city, including Sino-Russian Helicopters Co, which assembles, repairs and maintains Kamov Ka-32 helicopters, and Feiyu Aviation Technology Co, which designs and manufactures airships.

In 2015, revenue from the city's aviation-related industries reached 4 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of over 10 percent since the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) period.

(China Daily 11/17/2016 page12)