(ATF) China’s civil aviation regulator has released a document aimed at optimising the business environment in the sector as it struggles to recover from a severe downturn during the coronavirus lockdown.
The document, issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), details implementation rules of a regulation issued in October, which seeks to reform the business to make it fairer and easier to access by foreign companies.
The CAAC pledges to provide wider market access across the country, as well as protections to ensure all entities can make equal use of market resources.
Foreign-funded civil aviation projects should be treated on the same footing as other enterprises, the document.
The document also clarifies measures to improve government services such as electronic certificates and business licenses, information sharing and transparency of administrative work.
China’s air industry was hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown. The most recent CAAC figures show April passenger numbers were 69% lower year-on-year, to 16.7 million journeys. That was only slightly up on March, when passenger journeys had slumped 72%.
