CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- A Cessna-172 aircraft flying to Zigong, Sichuan took off from Chongqing Longxing Airport at 14:52 on March 13. This is the first successful demonstration flight along the cross-provincial VFR (Visual Flight Rules) low-altitude route in southwest China, as well as a breakthrough made by the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone in the low-altitude airspace field. On the same day, the Civil-Military Integration Office of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee signed a memorandum of cooperation in promoting the cooperative management of low-altitude airspace with the Civil-Military Integration Office of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee.

The Cessna-172 aircraft has four seats (including the captain’s seat), with a speed of 180 kilometers per hour, and a range of about 280 kilometers.

The cross-provincial VFR low-altitude route serves as a highway in the low-level air. In the future, low-altitude aircraft may fly along the route after the simplified flight examination and approval procedures are completed, said the Civil-Military Integration Office of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee.

The cross-provincial VFR low-altitude route is still operating on a trial basis. Relevant departments will further improve operation mechanisms and supporting facilities for low-altitude flights so as to realize regular operations of low-altitude flights in the second half of the year. It means that in the near future, Sichuan and Chongqing residents may be able to ‘fly’ to work, said the Civil-Military Integration Office of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee.

As the key support force of the test flight, CAAC Chongqing Air Traffic Administration has successfully solved the problems in aircraft communication, surveillance, navigation, climbout, emergency response, and other aspects and has taken a series of measures to ensure flight safety.

The cooperation aims to overcome difficulties in the scientific allocation of inter-provincial airspace resources and allow more aircraft to fly in the low-level airspace, said the Civil-Military Integration Office of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee.

According to the memorandum, Sichuan and Chongqing will launch more VFR low-altitude routes, share aviation intelligence information and low-altitude meteorological information, and jointly develop operating rules so as to enhance the flight service support capabilities, realize the cross-regional short-distance transportation, cross-regional deliveries of general aircraft (including both manned and unmanned aerial vehicles) and the regular operations of flights. Both parties will lay a solid foundation for low-altitude flights by optimizing the effective allocation of airspace resources.

In the future, Sichuan and Chongqing will intensify their cooperation to build a cooperative low-altitude airspace management mechanism, and actively explore new modes of cooperation in infrastructure construction and industrial development. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)