Starting next year, foreign airlines that apply to conduct passenger or cargo business in China must be certified by regional civil aviation authorities before doing business. Those already operating in the country must be certified before 2007.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) says the new regulation will go into effect next year and covers foreign flights landing in and taking off from China.

The regulation was developed to regulate the management of foreign carriers and ensure safer flights, according to Wang Changshun, CAAC's vice director.

It simplifies the inspection and approval process for market access but stresses safety supervision. The regulation is based on the minimum safety criteria defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Airlines that operate fewer than 10 flights a year or operate only for a specific contract period, such as during the Olympic Games, are exempt from the inspection.

The number of foreign airlines operating regular flights in China has grown to 74, with some 500 planes arriving at or departing from Chinese airports every day, according to CAAC.

Airlines are usually required to meet the standards of the individual countries where they operate as well as international safety standards, said an official from CAAC's Department of International Cooperation.

He said that in the past, there were no regulations to standardize safety management for foreign carriers, although they did require CAAC approval to operate. It has become a standard international practice to conduct safety inspections of foreign airlines, the official said.

There were no immediate comments on the regulation from foreign flag carriers now operating in the country.

(China Daily December 17, 2004)