Starting next year, foreign airlines that apply to conduct
passenger or cargo business in China must be certified by regional
civil aviation authorities before doing business. Those already
operating in the country must be certified before 2007.
The?Civil
Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) says the new regulation
will go into effect next year and covers foreign flights landing in
and taking off from China.
The regulation was developed to regulate the management of
foreign carriers and ensure safer flights, according to Wang
Changshun, CAAC's vice director.
It simplifies the inspection and approval process for market
access but stresses safety supervision. The regulation is based on
the minimum safety criteria defined by the International Civil
Aviation Organization.
Airlines that operate fewer than 10 flights a year or operate
only for a specific contract period, such as during the Olympic
Games, are exempt from the inspection.
The number of foreign airlines operating regular flights in
China has grown to 74, with some 500 planes arriving at or
departing from Chinese airports every day, according to CAAC.
Airlines are usually required to meet the standards of the
individual countries where they operate as well as international
safety standards, said an official from CAAC's Department of
International Cooperation.
He said that in the past, there were no regulations to
standardize safety management for foreign carriers, although they
did require CAAC approval to operate. It has become a standard
international practice to conduct safety inspections of foreign
airlines, the official said.
There were no immediate comments on the regulation from foreign
flag carriers now operating in the country.
(China Daily December 17, 2004)