Landing Slots And Permits In China

Flying into China can be complicated. China’s airspace is tightly controlled and few airports allow foreign-registered business jets to land. If you are traveling to an airport that does allow business jets, be prepared to follow restrictions for landing and takeoff times, and be sure all paperwork is in order. Here’s what you need.

Overflight and Landing Permits

China requires all aircraft to obtain a permit before flying over the country or landing at its airports. Permit requests must be submitted at least three days in advance (seven is better), and contain the following information:

Operator and aircraft information
Routing and schedule, including entry and exit points
Crew and passenger information
Specific purpose of flight (tourist flights not allowed)
Local receiving party/sponsor information (for landing permits)
Sponsor letter (at certain airports)

Jetex personnel can submit a permit request on your behalf if your aircraft has 29 seats or fewer. Aircraft with more than 29 seats are automatically considered charter aircraft, and their operators must contact the CAAC directly.

Landing Slots

At several airports, business aircraft are not allowed to operate (take off or land) during peak airline flight hours. For example, you would not be able to land or take off between the hours of 0700 – 0900 local time (LT) at the following (but not limited to):

Beijing Capital Airport (ZBAA)
Shanghai Hongqiao (ZSSS) and Pudong airports (ZSPD)
Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (ZGGG)
Shenzhen Bao’an Airport (ZGSZ)

At the specific airports listed above, only one movement is allowed for any given aircraft between the hours of 0800 – 2200LT. This means that if your aircraft flies into Shanghai Pudong (for example) at 0930LT, it is not able to take off again until after 2200LT the same day.

Some of these airports also require business aircraft to apply for landing and departure slots approved in advance by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Landing slots are issued with the landing permit.

Parking Availability

While you may obtain permission to land your aircraft at a Chinese airport, you may not be able to park it for an extended stay without moving it to another airport. Parking is extremely limited at the following airports: