Guangzhou's int'l aviation hub in the making

Guangzhou is becoming an international aviation hub, with a cluster of five aviation industries gradually taking shape and a total of 11,728 companies settling in the city's airport economic zone.

The five aviation industry cluster, according to the organizing committee of the Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone, focuses on airplane maintenance and refitting, logistics, cross-border e-commerce, airline headquarters and aircraft leasing.

The world's two leading aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, have stationed their aircraft modification projects in the Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone. China's largest airplane maintenance base and the world's largest airplane modification base are also currently taking shape in Guangzhou, with a revenue increase of 17.7 percent to 3.13 billion yuan ($459 million).

In 2017, the city's airport comprehensive bonded area saw an increase of 28.3 percent in imports and exports, totaling 16.59 billion yuan. Cross-border e-commerce in the airport economic zone also saw healthy development, with the total value of imports and exports reaching 3.7 billion yuan, up 50 percent year-on-year. Indicators show that the Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone has ranked number one nationally in cross-border e-commerce for four years in a row.

The Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone has hosted the headquarters for 77 airlines, including 48 international ones, and aircraft leasing continues to develop. In 2017, 23 leased aircrafts carrying a total of 12.52 billion yuan in cargo landed in the bonded area of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

In June 2016, the Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone took the lead in carrying out pilot reforms to reduce inspection service fees. In 2017, 200 companies benefited from these reforms and received a total of 730,000 yuan in exemptions.

Guangzhou is currently gaining momentum and becoming an international hub for airlines and the aviation industry, and within three to five years, the city plans to create an advanced, multifunctional, green airport economic zone with high-end industries. 

In September, the city will host the World Route Development Conference, which will be attended by over 3,000 representatives from 300 airlines, 700 airport administration agencies, and 130 government and travel agencies.