China, also known as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is the most populated sovereign state in the world. Home to over 1.38 billion inhabitants, it is also the second largest state by land area. For over 500 years, China has been the one of biggest and fastest growing economies in terms of nominal GDP and purchasing power parity. The country is also the world’s largest exporter, and the second largest importer of goods.
The People’s Republic of China has over 182 commercial airports already opened, with plans to open more in the future. The largest airports in China are also ranked as some of the busiest in the world. There is an enormous demand for General Aviation (GA) here. The country is home to the China Airshow, the largest and only international aviation aerospace trade show endorsed by the Chinese central government.
Operating to China with Jetex
Jetex Flight Support strives to continuously extend its presence and global network in order to provide the best possible service to our clients, and is already well established in China. We operate our own strategically placed supervisory station and operations center in Beijing. With Jetex China, you can benefit from our local expertise in arrangement of permits, in-house flight planning, updates on Chinese NOTAMs and slot restrictions, supervision of ground handling services, fuel uplifts, and world-class concierge services for both crew and pax. We promise to deliver our clients a premium quality experience for the most competitive prices.
Below is some useful information for operators to consider when flying into to some of China’s busiest airports. Our experienced multilingual staff are available 24/7 in Beijing to handle all your travel needs to these locations and throughout China.
Beijing Capital International Airport (IATA: PEK, ICAO: ZBAA)
ZBAA is the main international airport serving Beijing, the capital city of China. According to Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) 2015 statistics, ZBAA was ranked number one busiest airport, based on total passenger traffic. The Beijing Capital International Airport caters to GA with Airport of Entry, plus customs and immigrations 24 hours a day. CAAC approves flight schedule and slots at the same time. There is no need to book short-term aircraft parking. However, long-term parking is only allowed for a maximum of 24 hours. ZBAA is fully equipped for ground handling services and offers premium VIP and crew lounge.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (IATA: PVG, ICAO: ZSPD)
ZSPD is one of two major international airports available in Shanghai. Pudong airport is a major aviation hub for the country and serves mainly international flights. ZSPD is the world’s third busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic. It is also considered the second busiest airport in China by total passenger traffic.
ZSPD caters to business aviation with 24 hour AOE and customs and immigration. CAAC approves flight schedules and slots both at once. Generally, no more than 48 hours is allowed for aircraft parking. However based on the situation, we can try to check with the airport to see if they can approve longer parking. Pudong Airport is fully equipped to provide ground handling services for all types of aircraft. Clients can also enjoy the availability of a VIP and crew lounge.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (IATA: CAN, ICAO: ZGGG)
ZGGG is a major international airport for Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province. According to CAAC, Guangzhou airport was ranked China’s third busiest airport in 2015 by passenger traffic, cargo traffic, and aircraft movements. ZGGG is open for private operators. The airport is AOE with customs and immigration available 24 hours a day. CAAC approves slots and flight schedules at the same time. Based on the flight schedule, long term parking may be possible if we check with airport first. ZGGG is fully equipped for ground handling services, and pax and crew can also make use of their VIP lounge.
Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (IATA: SZX, ICAO: ZGSZ)
Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport is located in Shenzhen city, Guangdong province. The airport is a major hub for both commercial and cargo airlines. In 2010, Shenzhen airport served over 26 million passengers. In 2015, it was ranked as the 5th busiest airport in China in terms of passenger movements, serving more than 39 million passengers. The airport is approximately 40 minutes away by drive from the city center.
ZGSZ caters to GA with AOE 24 hours a day. Customs and immigration is also operational for 24 hours. However, we need to check with immigration when the flight is operating after midnight. Slots will be approved along with the flight Schedule by the CAAC. Prior booking of short term aircraft parking is not required. In the case of long-term parking, we need to check with the airport through the flight schedule. The airport is fully equipped for all ground handling services, as well as having a VIP and crew lounge.
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (IATA: SHA, ICAO: ZSSS)
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, is the second of the two international airports in Shanghai, China. It was previously Shanghai’s primary airport, until Pudong airport was completed in 1999. ZSSS is located in Hongqiao town, 13 kilometers west of downtown. This is closer in proximity to the city center, in comparison to ZSPD.
Hongqiao airport accommodates mainly domestic flights and limited international flights. In 2015, the airport was ranked as China’s 6th busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic. Total passenger movements in 2015 were over 39 million. ZSSS also caters to Business Aviation. However, AOE and customs and immigration is not operational 24 hours a day. Flights to and from eastward or northeastward are not allowed to operate daily during curfew times 16:00 to 22:00 UTC.
Airport slots and flight schedules are approved by the CAAC together. Due to ongoing airport reconstruction, business aircraft are not allowed to park for more than 2 nights. However the airport is fully equipped for all ground handling services, and offers VIP and crew lounges.
Landing Permits and Fuel
Please be advised that we can only apply for landing permits for the purpose of business/private flights. Each aircraft should contain less than 29 seats. A sponsor letter is no longer needed for obtaining a landing permit. The approximate lead time an operator can expect is 3 working days before the flight. Also note that since there is no VAT on fuel in China, Jetex can offer very competitive prices to our clients.
Restrictions
The following slot restrictions apply to all five airports mentioned above:
Due to slot congestion, a private jet is not authorized to occupy more than one slot during peak hours at the same airport, within the same day. Peak hours are referred to as from 00:01 to 14:00 UTC. Also, slots will not be granted to private flights at all from 23:00 to 01:00 UTC, daily.
Jetex Flight Support
Contact us today for more information regarding operating to the above mentioned airports, or any other airport throughout China and East Asia. Just one e-mail containing all your requirements is enough for our 24/7 operations team to process your request. We look forward to serving you on your next flight.
Jetex Beijing
Tel: +86 10 6454 2688
Email: china@jetex.com
