After the integration and reorganization of six leading groups, CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) recently decided to dissolve 23 provincial (regional and municipal) civil aviation departments by the end of the year. CAAC delegates the power of management over 93 airports to local governments so as to further promote the reform of the civil aviation administration mechanism.

CAAC has decided to dismantle 23 provincial (regional and municipal) civil aviation departments, including Tianjin, Hebei Province and set up civil aviation security supervision administration offices in those areas apart from Dalian, Xiamen and Shenzhen. The offices, representing local management departments, will take charge of security supervision and market inspection for the air companies, airports and other enterprises as well as public institutions in areas under respective jurisdictions. Management departments in Beijing, Liaoning, Shanghai, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Xinjiang will still be responsible for security and market supervision and management in these places.

The airports under the charge of Hebei, Shanxi and other 15 provincial (regional and municipal) civil aviation departments as well as Urumqi management department will be taken over by the local governments; The airports in the four provinces which are under the management of CAAC or local departments, including Guangdong and Sichuan, will also be delegated to the local governments; for airports in the five local management departments who have been separated from the provincial departments, all the shares they hold will be given to the local governments for management, such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In this way, there will be altogether 93 airports transferring to local governments throughout the country.

Generally, after local governments take over the airports, airport management companies will be set up in terms of the province (region and municipality). The companies will be operated along the lines of enterprises and be responsible for the uniform management of the airports in the province (region and municipality).

In addition, local governments will also be in charge of public security departments and airport public security agencies of the provincial (regional and municipal) civil aviation departments.

Yang Yuanyuan, head of CAAC, pointed out that the purpose of reform was to separate the production and operation of the airports from government management. The separation of government supervision and asset management function may mobilize the enthusiasm of local governments investing in the airports. It is also conducive to the self-management of the airports, deepening market-oriented consciousness, transferring of the operation mechanism as well as enhancing internal management and increasing efficacy.

(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, September 19, 2003)