China aiming for 3,500 registered general aviation airplanes

BEIJING -- China will strive to have 3,500 registered airplanes for general aviation by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period, according to the country's civil aviation regulator.

A new plan on general aviation unveiled by the Civil Aviation Administration of China states that the number of registered airports for general aviation will top 500, and no less than 25 provincial-level regions will provide general aviation emergency rescue services by end-2025.

The plan urges the improvement of general aviation emergency rescue services, supporting innovation in the use of drones and further upgrading general aviation services in the agricultural and industrial sectors, among other measures.

General aviation refers to aircraft operations in civil aviation other than public air transport, such as aviation services for agriculture, disaster relief and rescue, and recreation.

Official data shows that 2,892 airplanes, 339 airports and about 517,000 drones had been registered for general aviation in China by the end of 2020.