By LI Linxu

In its latest move to build an aviation powerhouse, China released an implementation plan on innovative application of general aviation equipment on March 27.

The plan was jointly released by four government bodies, including the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

It laid out a series of time-bound major goals for the development of general aviation equipment sector.

A drone works in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By 2027, the sector's supply capacity and innovation capability will be significantly improved, with a highly effective integrated industrial ecology taking shape.

Commercial application of new-type general aviation equipment is expected to be achieved in fields such as urban air transportation, logistics distribution and emergency relief.

A batch of joint labs, sci-tech innovation centers and sci-tech innovation service platforms will be established.

By 2030, a new development model for the general aviation sector will be basically established, characterized by high-end, intelligent, and green transformation.

By then, the sector's market size is expected to cross one trillion RMB, injecting new momentum into the growth of low-altitude economy.

To achieve such goals, the plan put forward an array of key tasks, including building industrial collaborative innovation platforms, cultivating advanced manufacturing clusters, expanding demonstration applications in key fields, and improving regulations and standards.

Enterprises are urged to take part in the formulation and revision of relevant international rules and standards.

In recent years, China has made significant achievements in developing its general aviation industry.

As of the end of last year, it had 690 registered general aviation enterprises, possessed a fleet of 2,900 aircraft, and logged an average of 114,000 flight hours per month, according to CAAC.