Safety first in airspace management reform: spokesman

An Air Force spokesman has stressed the necessity of airspace control, saying safety should be prioritized as China's civil aviation sphere becomes busier.

On the Ministry of Defense website, Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke said China is in the throws of low-altitude management reform, but opening up of airspace below 1,000 meters does not mean "totally free" airspace.

The Air Force sticks to the principle of integrating air defense and airspace management to ensure airspace safety, according to Shen.

In recent years, 10 military air fields have been relocated, 13 handed over to civil aviation and another 63 shared with civil uses. The Air Force also shut down 457 blocks of airspace for training use and opened up 56,000 kilometers of new flight paths.

"These efforts have helped China's civil aviation industry achieve 10 percent annual growth," said Shen.

The spokesman also noted strict implementation of a regulation on general aviation flight mission approvals, adding all approvals will be processed in a quick and efficient manner, under the premise of safety.

China's low-altitude airspace is controlled by the Air Force and the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Private flights are required to file for approval.

A previous joint decision set in November 2010 by the State Council and the military authority said low-altitude airspace would be opened up gradually to general aviation.