This plan has been formulated to thoroughly implement the spirit of the “Opinions of the State Council on Promoting High-Quality Development in Inner Mongolia and Striving to Write a New Chapter in Chinese-Style Modernization” (State Council Document [2023] No. 16), to foster new momentum in the development of the general aviation industry across the region, and to support the development of the low-altitude economy, taking into account the actual conditions of the autonomous region.

I. General Requirements

The development of the general aviation industry shall adhere to the principles of “market-driven, government-guided, revitalizing existing assets, and integrated development.” It shall take the consolidation of the sense of community for the Chinese nation as its central task, use integration into the comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network as its entry point, deepen the “trunk-feeder connectivity and full-network interconnection” to enhance the efficiency of the comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network; take “general aviation + cultural tourism” as a growth driver to promote the integrated development of general aviation with cultural tourism and sports;relying on public services such as emergency rescue and medical evacuation to build a shared system that integrates commercial and public use while addressing both routine and emergency needs; and supplementing these efforts with diverse business models such as aviation education and training and drone logistics to leverage their spillover effects on related industries.

By 2025, the integration of ground transportation and general aviation airports in the autonomous region will be more efficient; the integration of general aviation with culture and tourism will be significantly enhanced; public services in general aviation will achieve shared use across public, civilian, and commercial sectors while addressing both routine and emergency needs; application scenarios for general aviation will continue to expand; and the industry’s development potential will be effectively unleashed.

— Airports will be efficiently connected to surrounding transportation infrastructure: all regional airports will be linked to Class II or higher highways, and all Class A general aviation airports will be linked to Class III or higher highways, ensuring access to local administrative centers within 15 minutes. At least 7 general aviation airports will operate airport shuttle buses, and at least 13 will provide customized bus or charter services, thereby establishing a fast and convenient passenger transport system.

— Launch at least three low-altitude tourism routes to effectively link key tourism resources within the region. Develop at least four “general aviation + cultural tourism” products based on major scenic areas, regularly host at least one aviation festival with national influence, and achieve over 50,000 visitors and annual revenue exceeding 100 million yuan for low-altitude tourism across the region, significantly enhancing the “fast access, slow exploration” tourism experience.

——Launch more than 30 short-haul transport routes and establish more than 12 aviation emergency rescue bases, with annual passenger volume on short-haul routes exceeding 50,000, effectively meeting public needs such as basic transportation and emergency rescue.

II. Main Tasks

(1) Promote the integration of general aviation into the comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network.

1. Improve the transportation infrastructure network. Advance the construction of three airport access road projects, including S528 Linxi Airport Road, and upgrade the roads connecting five airports, including Kulun Banner. Enhance the integrated connectivity between airports and surrounding highways, railways, and municipal roads to form a fast and convenient feeder and distribution system, achieving a well-planned and multidimensionally interconnected transportation infrastructure layout. (Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region, Development and Reform Commission)

2. Optimize the transportation service network. Integrate general aviation airports into urban transportation and long-distance passenger transport networks. Encourage operators of general aviation airports, urban transportation, and long-distance passenger transport to establish transportation service platforms that address passenger needs for travel to and from airports. Improve functions such as ticket purchasing, reservations, ride-sharing, and private charter services, and provide services including airport buses, customized public buses, customized scheduled routes, and full-vehicle charters to ensure that the transportation service network covers general aviation airports.(Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region; Administrative Offices of All Leagues and Municipal People’s Governments)

3. Promote the integration of the “trunk, feeder, and general aviation” networks.Establish an air transport network featuring interconnected trunk, feeder, and general aviation routes and interlinked airports. Expand transfer routes from Etuoke Qian Banner via Ordos and from Xin Barag Right Banner via Hailar. Develop transfer routes from Xianghuang Banner via Xilinhot and from Urat Middle Banner via Baotou to major domestic cities, as well as routes from Barin Left Banner and Barin Right Banner via Chifeng,Naiman Banner via Tongliao to Hohhot, Shenyang, and Shanghai, thereby leveraging the overall advantages of the transportation network. Promote mutual recognition of security checks between commercial and general aviation airports to enhance the convenience of passenger transfers. [Inner Mongolia Civil Aviation Airport Group Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia Aviation Tourism Investment (Group) Co., Ltd., administrative offices of all leagues, and municipal people’s governments]

4. Encourage regional airports to develop general aviation. Improve facilities and equipment at regional airports and expand their scope of operations. Support regional airports such as Hailar, Tongliao, Chifeng, Xilinhot, Ordos, and Arxan in launching short-haul transport services, and open new short-haul routes such as Liaoning–Arxarkhorin, Chifeng–Bairin Left Banner, and Arxan–Tuquan.Encourage airports in Ulanhot, Wuhai, Arxan, and others to expand aviation training services. Promote the development of the general aviation industrial chain at airports in Zhalantun, Ordos, and others, and establish general aviation industrial bases. [Inner Mongolia Civil Aviation Airport Group Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia Aviation Tourism Investment (Group) Co., Ltd., Administrative Offices of All Leagues, and Municipal People’s Governments]

(2) Create a new signature brand integrating “General Aviation + Cultural Tourism.”

1. Develop premium low-altitude tourism routes. Leveraging high-quality tourism resources such as vast grasslands, forests, deserts, rivers, lakes, and wetlands, promote the all-season, region-wide development of low-altitude tourism.Improve low-altitude tourism routes by launching seasonal dedicated routes such as Hohhot–Xilingol and Ulanhot–Arxan–Hailar–Manzhouli. Develop aerial sightseeing products based on key scenic areas such as the Arxan–Chaihe Tourism Zone, Ulanbutong Grassland, and Laoniwan Yellow River Grand Canyon to establish Inner Mongolia’s “Four Seasons of Beautiful Scenery” low-altitude tourism brand.Support Hulunbuir City in building a distinctive brand for comprehensive low-altitude tourism. Support Xing’an League, Xilingol League, and Alxa League in developing differentiated low-altitude tourism projects based on their unique tourism resources, and promote the industrialization of the low-altitude tourism sector. Support Chifeng City in building a distinctive brand for comprehensive aviation sports, and enrich and expand derivative tourism products. (Administrative Offices of all Leagues, Municipal People’s Governments, Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region, Department of Culture and Tourism)

2. Establish distinctive aviation flight camps. Promote the integrated development of low-altitude tourism and aviation sports. Support the Ulaad Zhongqi Airport in establishing a Yellow River culture-themed flight camp, the Xianghuangqi Airport in establishing a “culture + study tours + aviation sports” themed flight camp, and the Kangbashi District in building a desert culture-themed flight camp. Additionally, support Arxil Banner, Keshenketeng Banner, and others in establishing flight camps themed around grasslands, forests, and stone forests.Leverage these flight camps to develop aviation sports activities such as skydiving, paragliding, hot air ballooning, hang gliding, and trial flights, driving the transformation of low-altitude tourism products from sightseeing-oriented to sports-experience-oriented. (Administrative Offices of all Leagues, Municipal People’s Governments, and the Autonomous Region Sports Bureau)

3. Develop new integrated “general aviation + cultural creativity” products. Encourage leagues and cities to apply cultural creativity concepts, innovate business models, and utilize promotional media such as film and television, online media, and social media to incorporate cultural IPs and “must-visit” spots, thereby expanding the influence of mass aviation activities.Collaborate with organizations such as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of China (AOPA-China) and iFlyer to promote air shows in Alashan and other locations, thereby expanding the scale of the industry. Combine aviation sports events with tourism to establish the “Aviation Tourism Carnival” brand and advance the deep integration of the aviation and tourism industries. (Administrative Offices of All Leagues, Municipal People’s Governments, Department of Culture and Tourism of the Autonomous Region, and Sports Bureau)

(3) Enhance the public service support capabilities for general aviation.

1. Improve the aviation emergency rescue system. Relying on existing transport airports and general aviation airports, explore the establishment of a coordinated and shared aviation emergency rescue system. Adapt to emergency rescue missions in various scenarios, taking into account medical rescue, aerial firefighting, and ecological monitoring, and gradually improve the “General Aviation+” public service system. Support general aviation enterprises and social organizations in forming full-time and part-time teams to participate in aviation emergency rescue work, and build a new emergency rescue framework featuring collaboration among comprehensive fire and rescue teams, industry-specific professional rescue forces, and social forces.(Department of Emergency Management of the Autonomous Region, Health Commission; Administrative Offices of all Leagues, Municipal People’s Governments)

2. Expand the scope of general aviation services. Fully promote the application of general aviation in public service sectors such as forest fire prevention, grassland aerial seeding, agricultural plant protection, weather modification, aerial photography and surveying, and traffic management. Support general aviation enterprises in undertaking relevant operations in forestry, grassland, and emergency response sectors, and actively seek support from central government fiscal subsidies. Include general aviation public services in the government procurement catalog, and encourage departments such as emergency management, meteorology, forestry and grassland, and land resources to expand the scale of procurement to grow the general aviation public service market.(Autonomous Region Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Department of Finance, Department of Transportation)

(IV) Promote the Development of General Aviation-Related Industries.

1. Develop aviation education, training, and testing. Leveraging airport resources and climatic advantages, we will develop specialized general aviation education, training, and aviation testing services. We will expand flight training operations at airports in Wuhai, Barin Left Banner, and Naiman Banner; establish practical training bases in Xianghuang Banner and Ulaad Middle Banner; and support vocational colleges in Zhalantun and Xilingol in establishing general aviation programs.Optimize the aviation study-tour system in Xianghuang Banner; build civil aviation science popularization education bases, aviation science popularization study-tour bases, or aviation science popularization museums in Zhalantun City and Aro Banner. Establish an aircraft inspection and testing cluster; construct a test flight base for domestically produced large aircraft at Hailar Airport, an extreme cold testing base for aircraft at Genhe Airport, and a helicopter test flight base at Wushen Banner Airport; and implement projects such as high-wind testing for aircraft in Xilingol.Advance the construction of the Ordos Aviation Training Center. Cultivate general aviation industrial parks or aviation towns in Shiguai District, Chenbarhu Banner, and Arhorchin Banner. [Administrative Offices of all Leagues, Municipal People’s Governments, Inner Mongolia Aviation Tourism Investment (Group) Co., Ltd.]

2. Explore innovative demonstration industries for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Led by the construction of UAV pilot demonstration bases, promote the clustered development of the UAV industry. Support Baotou City, Hulunbuir City, Xing’an League, Chifeng City, and Ordos City in carrying out comprehensive UAV applications, promote the establishment of UAV operation training, examination, and testing centers, and build UAV flight test bases.Leveraging general aviation airports in Xianghuang Banner, Etuoke Banner, and Etuoke Qian Banner, establish a UAV logistics test base. [Administrative Offices of all Leagues, Municipal People’s Governments, Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Postal Administration, Inner Mongolia Aviation Tourism Investment (Group) Co., Ltd.]

III. Support Measures

(1) Strengthen Organizational Leadership. Improve the inter-departmental joint conference system for the development of the autonomous region’s general aviation industry, and leverage the government’s role in guidance, service, and supervision. Enhance overall coordination to promote the opening of short-haul transport routes, standardize liaison and negotiation processes, and unify the introduction of transport capacity to improve the efficiency of project attraction. All leagues and cities shall improve their respective organizational leadership mechanisms to coordinate the development of the general aviation industry within their regions. (Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region; Administrative Offices of All Leagues and Municipal People’s Governments)

(2) Ensure Airspace Support. Promote the reform of low-altitude airspace management across the entire autonomous region and establish a coordinated operational management and institutional support system for low-altitude airspace throughout Inner Mongolia. Establish a communication and coordination mechanism between civil and military aviation, formulate plans for the classification and demarcation of low-altitude airspace and methods for coordinated operations, and promote the flexible use of low-altitude airspace. Improve the flight service support system, accelerate the construction of flight service stations, and build a smart service platform for flight plans featuring “one-stop acceptance and online processing.”Rationally deploy Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) stations and Very High Frequency (VHF) ground stations to achieve effective coverage of low-altitude surveillance and communication signals. (Member units of the Northern Region Air Traffic Management Coordination Committee, Civil Aviation Administration of China Inner Mongolia Regulatory Bureau, Civil Aviation Administration of China Inner Mongolia Air Traffic Management Branch)

(3) Strengthen Resource Support. Optimize the fiscal subsidy system and provide financial support for infrastructure construction, short-haul transport routes, general aviation operations, and investment promotion through direct subsidies, loan interest subsidies, and capital injections to support the high-quality development of the general aviation industry. Incorporate general aviation airports and general aviation industry projects into the overall spatial planning at all levels to ensure adequate land resources for airport construction. Relevant departments shall carry out airspace protection work in accordance with national regulations and their respective functions and responsibilities.(Department of Finance of the Autonomous Region, Department of Natural Resources, Administrative Offices of all Leagues, and Municipal People’s Governments)

(4) Strengthen Pilot Demonstrations. Launch general aviation pilot initiatives and encourage all leagues and cities to apply for general aviation industry development pilot programs based on their own development characteristics and needs.Support Ordos City in taking the lead to establish a pilot program for low-altitude airspace management reform, and build low-altitude flight service stations, comprehensive drone control platforms, and aviation emergency rescue platforms. Establish a performance evaluation system for pilot and demonstration projects to comprehensively assess the implementation process, the degree of achievement of set objectives, input-output efficiency, and the results of fund execution. (Department of Transportation and Department of Finance of the Autonomous Region; Administrative Offices of All Leagues and Municipal People’s Governments)

(5) Optimize the business environment. Coordinate investment promotion efforts, conduct targeted investment promotion for the general aviation industry chain, and organize exchange seminars and promotional activities. Establish an investment cooperation platform and create an autonomous region-level general aviation industry project database to carry out project identification, planning, conversion, and related services. Encourage industry associations, general aviation enterprises, and consulting firms to form industrial alliances to engage in product planning, industry development consulting, and investment project evaluation.Optimize the business environment in the general aviation sector by implementing services such as smart approval, one-stop online services, and government-bank-enterprise cooperation to provide convenience for industry entities. (Department of Transportation, Department of Industry and Information Technology, and Bureau of Government Services and Data Management of the Autonomous Region)

(6) Strengthen Talent Support. Encourage civil aviation colleges and universities, as well as other higher education institutions, to collaborate with general aviation enterprises to deepen the integration of industry and education and build a multi-level, multi-channel joint talent training system. Increase efforts to recruit specialized talent, innovate recruitment methods, and introduce and cultivate professional general aviation airport operations and management teams. Improve talent support policies and provide policy support in accordance with relevant regulations for newly recruited high-end and scarce talent who meet the criteria. (Department of Education, Department of Human Resources and Social Security)