China will ease some of its regulations, allowing various flights to operate without applying directly to the government for approval.

Any general aviation (GA) service currently needs its flight approved from the Chinese military, as it controls the airspace above the country. The new changes, effective from December 1st, will enable such GA routes to fly with just the permission of the Civil Aviation Authority of China.

Commenting on the changes, the president and chief executive officer of the National Business Aviation Association Ed Bole said: "We hope to see further easing of flight restrictions on GA operations, as the government gains comfort with the industry and becomes more aware of its future growth potential."

However, this will still only apply to aircraft flown by home-based pilots and, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, aircraft crossing the border or entering designated military airspace would still need to seek full approval.

Nonetheless, this change may help expand China's non-carrier aviation sector, with the new regulations making it easier for flights to be planned, potentially encouraging growth.