Air force can help combat crowded skies, experts say

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The air force could gradually loosen its grip on China's airspace by choosing other options to combat flight delays, aviation experts say.

"According to our calculations, if the air force transfers just 10 percent of the airspace under its control to civil airlines, an extra 200 billion yuan ($32.6 billion) will be generated in GDP," said Professor Li Xiaojin from the Civil Aviation University of China.

"The government could also use a certain proportion of the revenue to build new air bases in regions that don't have so many routes, so pilot training will not be affected."

China's airspace is largely controlled by the military, and many areas are used by both civil airlines and military aircraft, leading to comparatively little space for civil aviation, say industry insiders.

"Less than 30 percent of China's airspace can be used by airlines," said an aviation expert who spoke on condition of anonymity. "In the United States, the figure is more than 85 percent."

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