By tf-lawyer.com The second China Aviation Conference officially kicked off today, October 25th, after a three-day event. During the main forum, reporters learned that China’s aviation transportation industry has shown a comprehensive recovery trend this year, with swift improvements in aviation manufacturing capabilities and accelerated growth in the low-altitude economy.
In the first three quarters of this year, the civil aviation sector reported a total turnover of 1,106.6 billion ton-kilometers, transporting 550 million passengers and handling 6.489 million tons of cargo and mail. These figures represent year-on-year increases of 27.4%, 19.1%, and 24.4%, respectively, with growth rates compared to the same period in 2019 indicating increases of 14.5%, 11.2%, and 19%. Impressively, the primary indicators are showing recovery trends that are leading globally.
Wang Changshun, Chairman of the China Air Transport Association, expressed optimism for 2024, forecasting that passenger and cargo volumes could exceed 720 million and 8.5 million tons, respectively, which would set new historical highs.
Additionally, the aviation industry is swiftly advancing its digital and green transformation, bolstering energy-saving and carbon-reducing capabilities. In 2023, fuel consumption per ton-kilometer decreased by 14.3% compared to 2005 levels, while average carbon dioxide emissions per passenger at airports fell by 60.5% compared to a baseline set between 2013 and 2015. This signifies a clear commitment to high-quality, green development.
The aviation manufacturing sector is also catching up. China’s domestic aircraft development has achieved a series of historical breakthroughs in research, design, production, certification, and commercial operation, entering a new era of large-scale, series, and industrial development.
Wang Changshun noted, “Especially with the rapid mass production of new aircraft types such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and remotely piloted aircraft (RPAS), we are integrating aviation manufacturing with drone technology development. This will accelerate the merger of manufacturing with emerging technologies, potentially leading to a continued decrease in the lifecycle costs of aircraft for airlines.”
In terms of low-altitude economic development, as of the end of September, there are 2.049 million registered drones in China, and over 17,000 qualified drone operating companies. The application scenarios for drones are rapidly expanding, with new consumption modes such as drone delivery services, aerial sightseeing, and aviation sports on the rise.
(Reported by CCTV correspondents Zhai Zhuang and Wang Shantao)
