Xi'an holds five-day exhibition on aviation industry

A five-day event aimed at promoting the country's general aviation industry is underway in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province in Northwest China.

The 2015 China International General Aviation Convention, which opened its doors on Oct 15, will focus on three activities - plane dynamic and static exhibitions, aviation facilities and equipment exhibition, and general aviation forum - in Xi'an and the province's Pucheng county, according to Tong Xiuli, senior official with the organizing committee.

He said the opening and closing ceremonies, facilities and equipment exhibition and the forum will be held in Xi'an and the plane exhibition and flight performance will be held in Pucheng county, some 110 km away from Xi'an.

"The total floor area for aviation facilities and equipment exhibition is about 15,000 sq meters with 443 exhibition places, an increase of 40 percent compared with the last convention. Some 500 aviation-related enterprises will participate in the event, of which 15 percent will be foreign companies," Tong said.

In Pucheng county where there is an airport for plane dynamic and static exhibition, more than 300 plane manufacturers will display general aircraft, helicopters, aviation equipment and simulations.

The flight performance and aviation science popularization will be held at the same time in the county, Tong said.

In order to promote the exchange of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) technology and the development of China's UAV and aviation industry, the convention has set up a special UAV exhibition area for the first time, where high-tech UAV and other technologies and products related to UAV are on display.

China general aviation summit forum will be held on Oct 17 in Xi'an to explore the current situation and trend of general aviation development, and a number of professional sub-forums will be held to deepen the discussion of general aviation development from different perspectives.

Approved by the State Council in 2009, China International General Aviation Convention is so far the largest aviation promotion event in China with Xi'an as its permanent host. The event is held every two years.

Aviation experts said that at present, China's general aviation industry is far behind that in the developed countries and has great future for the development. The development of general aviation industry is expected to become an important engine for future development of China's manufacturing industry by effectively use of the existing manufacturing industry basis and digesting the traditional manufacturing overcapacity.

The national low altitude airspace management reform working conference held at the end of 2014 suggested that the low altitude airspace reform would be carried out in 2015 over the country and the reform is expected to open a big market for general aviation industry, aviation experts said.