Civil Aviation Administration of China's Implementation Plan for the Pilot Opening of the Seventh Freedom Rights in Hainan Free Trade Port

On June 3, the Civil Aviation Administration of China officially issued the "Implementation Plan for the Pilot Opening of the Seventh Freedom of the Air Transport in Hainan Free Trade Port" (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Plan"), encouraging and supporting foreign airlines to operate the Seventh Freedom of the Air Transport for passenger and cargo transportation in Hainan in addition to the existing freedom arrangements, further promoting the development of Hainan's civil aviation industry and promoting the high-level opening of civil aviation to the outside world. This is a supporting document for the Civil Aviation Administration of China to implement the "Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port" issued by the State Council, and it is also the highest level of opening that exceeds my country's existing bilateral freedom arrangements.

According to the "Implementation Plan", the pilot opening of the Seventh Freedom of the Air Transport in Hainan Free Trade Port will be carried out in accordance with the principles of active and steady, orderly opening, and gradual advancement, and the Seventh Freedom of the Air Transport will be piloted in stages and steps. Its main contents include five parts: pilot content, application procedures, management requirements and supervision and inspection, service guarantee, and organizational guarantee.

The pilot contents of the Implementation Plan include: encouraging and supporting foreign airlines to operate the Seventh Freedom of the Air Transport in Hainan in addition to the existing air rights arrangements, with a maximum of 7 passenger/cargo flights per week on each route; designated foreign air transport enterprises can exercise passenger stopover rights between Hainan and places with international air transport ports in China other than Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou according to the route table and capacity quota stipulated in the bilateral air rights arrangements when operating the third, fourth and fifth freedom flights, with a maximum of 7 flights per week on each route. When operating the Seventh Freedom of the Air Transport, designated foreign air transport enterprises do not have the right to fly through or stopover between Hainan and other places in China. At the same time, in order to steadily promote the pilot, the Civil Aviation Administration of China may adjust the Seventh Freedom of the Air Transport pilot policy in a timely manner according to the needs of macro-control, public interests, etc.

In terms of application procedures, the Implementation Plan clarifies the applicant and the full-process application procedures. The Implementation Plan points out that the main users of the pilot opening policy of the air rights are foreign air transport enterprises, excluding airlines in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. In the application process, foreign air transport enterprises should first apply to their home countries for designation and confirmation by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Secondly, they should apply for foreign public air transport carrier operation qualification certification, foreign air transport enterprise route operation license, flight schedule and advance flight plan in accordance with existing procedures.

In terms of management requirements and supervision and inspection, the "Implementation Plan" clarifies the economic supervision and safety supervision requirements for foreign airlines. Designated foreign air transport enterprises should abide by the laws, regulations, rules and policies of China and the Civil Aviation Administration, and sign safety and service agreements with airport management agencies. The Central South Administration and its dispatched agencies will supervise and inspect the safe operation of foreign airlines. If the safe operation requirements are not met, operation restriction measures will be taken in accordance with relevant bilateral aviation safety agreements and foreign airline operation management regulations.

In addition, the "Implementation Plan" also requires the optimization of airspace, time management, airport capacity expansion, infrastructure and other service guarantee measures. At the same time, it is clear that relevant working mechanisms should be established, organizational guarantees should be made, and the effective implementation of the pilot opening policy should be jointly promoted.