China loosens military control over airspace
Small commercial flights will no longer need the approval of the PLA, making it quicker and easier to use a private plane on the mainland
Zipping between mainland cities on a private plane or helicopter should become quicker and easier after the government said it was loosening the military's grip over airspace.
From next month, small commercial flights will no longer have to get People's Liberation Army approval for flight plans. They will only need permission from the regional branch of the civil aviation administration.
This should cut the waiting time for permission to take off from several days to a few hours, giving a boost to the nascent private aviation sector.
The change - which applies only to general aviation and will not affect scheduled flights - was announced by the PLA and the Civil Aviation Administration.
"Some people regard it as a ground-breaking measure. Others regard it as the dawn of China's general aviation business. It is good news for everyone," said Wu Qing, general sales manager with GALink Aviation, a general aviation service provider in Changsha , Hunan .
About 1,000 planes were registered for general aviation last year, compared with more than 220,000 in the United States.
Certain restrictions will remain. Flights that cross borders, including into Hong Kong, or go through sensitive areas, will stay under the control of military air traffic authorities. Flights operated by holders of foreign passports will still need PLA approval.