The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is expected to expand low-altitude airspace trial bases in the near future, with a long-term goal of fully opening low-altitude airspace nationwide by 2015, said Li Jiaxiang, president of CAAC on March 6.
Current bases include two northeastern provinces, Jilin and Heilongjiang, as well as the southern coastal province Guangdong.
The next step targets two inland provinces along Yangtze River, Hunan and Hubei, as well as two border provinces, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Eastern Inner Mongolia, as the trial bases.
Li also interpreted this policy as a measure to encourage and support private aircraft. Yet, thorough and strict standards for general aircraft that travel low altitudes still must be formulated before low altitude airspace can be fully opened.
