China Civil Aviation Work and Safety Conference held in Beijing

The China Civil Aviation Work and Safety Conference was held on January 10th and 11th in Beijing primarily to determine China’s civil aviation tasks for 2008. The two-day conference concluded China’s civil aviation accomplishments in 2007, and made several evaluations of the new challenges faced by the development of its civil aviation safety, production and reform. The conference tackled three important issues: the ground rules for China’s civil aviation work for 2008, the main objectives of its civil aviation development, and the main objectives of its safety work. The goals of China’s civil aviation framework for 2008 include the promotion of sustainable development; quality oriented, on-time coordination, security and safety reform implementation, development and stability; and advancement of China’s civil aviation through scientific development. The CAAC set benchmarks in 2008 civil aviation development to achieve a total transport throughput of 42 billion ton-kilometers, passenger throughput of 210 million person times, and cargo and mail throughput of 4.45 million tons, an increase of more than 16 percent, 14 percent, and 12 percent respectively compared to last year. Also included were an increase in China’s general aviation flight hours to more than 10 percent on a year-on-year basis and the attainment of RMB 36 billion on fixed capital investment. The main objective of the safety work includes the prevention of serious transport and flight accidents, hijacking and on-board threats, general aviation serious flight accidents, serious aviation ground accidents, and extra-serious aircraft maintenance accidents. In addition, the CAAC wants to minimize the flight incident rate to less than 0.6 per 10,000 flight hours of flight transport. The two-day conference determined seven primary tasks of China’s civil aviation for 2008 based on the conference objectives. 1. Safety first, to ensure continuous safety of air transport. The first of the primary tasks, “Safety first,” aims to ensure the continuous safety of air transport. Based on the work objectives, the first task will allow the continuous implementation of a responsibility system that will enhance the safety main body responsibility of enterprises as well as the safety surveillance responsibility of the government. This will serve as a responsibility guide to further perfect the examining system. The first task will also make air transport safety the industry’s core value. It aims to promote the enhancement of air transport supervision work through extensive planning and by observing strict standards of safety. A team of professionals will also be created to oversee the level of safety of China’s air transport. The task on “Safety first” will continuously promote a Safety Management System (SMS) and will also improve the airworthiness work of the ARJ21-700 in line with the development of China’s aviation manufacture industry. Also, the research work on safety science and technology and the construction of a safety experiment base will be enhanced and promoted respectively. It will improve both the emergency handling mechanism and the emergency handling capability of China’s workforce. 2. Coordination and cooperation, to improve air transport service during the Olympic Games. The second of the primary tasks, “Coordination and cooperation,” aims to improve the air transport service during the Olympic Games. Chinese civil aviation is preparing extensively in advance for the upcoming Olympic Games, which will be held in Beijing in August 2008. The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is considered the largest and longest unprecedented activity to be undertaken by China and its civil aviation. The civil aviation will be at the frontline of China for the highly anticipated Olympic Games. Better air transport service is considered a high priority in anticipation of millions of people from all over the world coming over for the big event. 3. Advance the base of stability, to promote steady and rapid increase of air transport. The third of the primary tasks is “Advancing the base of stability.” Its aim is to promote the steady and rapid increase of air transport in China. The CAAC is considering its ability to supply and safely support the macro adjustments of its civil aviation. It will implement measures to control the speed of introducing aircraft such as newly established airlines and passenger jetliners engaging in public air transport. It will also execute measures to control the total volume of flight and implement firm procedures for market access. Based on the research and adjustment mechanism of the National Integrated Traffic Network Long Term and Medium Term Plan, a work plan will be established and the results of implementation will be evaluated. Accordingly, a work program for adjustment suggestions will be created, and the Eleventh Five-Year Plan will be modified accordingly. The third task will also involve construction of infrastructures to promote the steady and rapid increase of China’s air transport. 4. Quality first, to speed up the development of civil aviation works. The fourth of the primary tasks is to promote “Quality first,” which aims to speed up the development of China’s civil aviation works. This will enhance the construction of public air transport systems as well as hasten the construction of three portal hubs, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The task will also encourage the international capability of airports and base airlines to compete. It will open up opportunities to unite airlines with international alliances and introduce B787/A380 jets capable of opening long-haul international air routes to Europe and America, increasing China’s occupancy rate in the international market. As China promotes its international market, it will equally advance its national and domestic market by encouraging both domestic and foreign airlines to establish international air routes in China’s central and west areas. Construction of regional airports will continue with the subsidization program of small-medium airports to encourage regional air transport development. Based on the requirements of the Public Finance and Universal Service, the second task will enhance the existing policy, and increase investment to develop civil aviation in China’s central, west and northeast area as well as in other areas, including the former revolutionary base, minority nationalities, poverty-stricken, remote and border areas of China. This will encourage harmony within the civil aviation regions and continuously promote the development of regional economy and society. Based on the requirement of the Civil Aviation Implementation Measure of General Aviation Policy Experimental Work in the Northeast China Area, the task will better facilitate the development of general aviation in the area. Measures to support the development of general aviation will be reviewed and formulated, while the system of rules and regulations for general aviation will be perfected. This will provide the necessary environment and conditions for the speedy development of general aviation in China. The fourth task will establish a general evaluation system for airlines which will serve as a guideline, encouraging airlines to improve their methods of management to generate economic returns. Also under the fourth task, energy saving methods and emission reduction will be enhanced through the creation of an industry energy saving and emission reduction plan, work mechanism, and statistics surveillance system. It will study and create industry standards to economize flight fuel and airport energy, as well as reduce consumption of power units. The plan will improve and formulate regulations and policies to protect the environment from pollution caused by air transport such as noise, waste water, waste gas and solid waste emission. It will further advance the research on “Green Airport” technology and the experimental work of Kunming Airport. The fourth primary task will include the study of the relationship between civil aviation and other methods of transport. The methods of transport -- which include ground transport, long haul and medium haul transport, international passenger transport, and transport of highly valued goods -- will be enhanced and developed. 5. Reform and opening outside, to acquire new breakthrough by perfecting the systems and mechanisms. The fifth primary task, “Reform and opening outside,” aims to acquire a new breakthrough by perfecting the systems and mechanisms. It will intensify the creation of feasible and practical plans on civil aviation reform and the process of opening outside through extensive research and study. This task will encourage the implementation of the price reform plan on domestic transport and help regulate the price of international transport as well as sales agent service fees. The airport charge reform will be implemented and the air traffic management charge reform opinions will be carried out along with the polishing of the system on air traffic management charge. The CAAC will also establish an emergency plan for the breakdown of civil aviation fuel supply as well as initiate a sales price reform plan with regard to aviation fuel. The fifth task will support and promote the state-owned enterprises. It will further improve its system of modern enterprise and develop an effective transfer of the industry’s management mechanisms. It will convert large and medium airports’ direct operation type to management type and promote the experimental work on airports’ concession business. Under the National Overall Frame of Diplomacy and Foreign Trade, the bilateral aviation right arrangement of China’s civil aviation will be expanded and the aviation relationship between China and Africa, Central Asia, and Latin American countries will be strengthened. The multilateral and bilateral cooperation business between international civil aviation and regional international organizations, including countries significant to China, will be improved to further expand the international influence of China’s civil aviation. The fifth primary task will develop management measures for airlines to engage in international aviation alliances. It will prepare the conditions that will help benefit the airlines to take advantage of the alliances. It will also improve the quality of foreign investment and methods of utilizing foreign investment. It will further encourage international companies to invest in China’s central, west and northeast areas civil aviation. 6. Advancement of the industry through science and education, to improve the capability to innovate. The sixth of the primary tasks, “Advancement of the industry through science and education,” aims to improve the capability of innovation. The task will speed up the establishment of an innovative system for science and technology with the government as the guide, enterprises as the main body, and the market as its goal. Based on the key projects of the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan,” the task will continue to promote the civil aviation universities, enhance flight construction, mechanic, air traffic management and specialty features, and improve the quality of education. It will also enhance training of management, business and teaching professionals and promote the creation of teams of high-level professionals. The sixth primary task will also hasten the training work of specialists as well as establish, organize and implement the Cultivation Plan of the Civil Aviation Professionals for New Regional Airports in China’s central, west and northeast areas. Finally, it will initiate, encourage and support local enterprises to innovate new advances in flight management. 7. Human-oriented, to encourage harmony within the industry. The seventh of the primary tasks, “Human-oriented,” aims to encourage harmony within the industry by improving flight on-time work and establish a long-term effective mechanism. The task will carry on the development of the special reformation work of China’s air transport service. It will also impose the labor law and labor contract law by fully implementing the labor contract system and the collective contract system on equal negotiation. The last of the primary tasks will improve the industry’s spiritual and moral development and the construction of the industry’s culture. It will further develop China’s national civilized airports building and decision methods.