EXPERTS said the cost to take a single flight from downtown Shenzhen to the Dameisha area in Yantian District by helicopter might be lowered to 199 yuan (US$31.59) when the general aviation industry in the city becomes more developed, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported over the weekend.

A seminar focused on the general aviation industry in central and southern China was held by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in OCT East on Thursday.

Li Jian, deputy head of CAAC, said the administration is dedicated to supporting the development of low-altitude general aviation in China, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will be chosen as a pilot area for developing private air services.

According to the report, the demand for private air services will soar rapidly when the GDP in a country or region reaches US$8,000 per capita. In America, every 20,000 people have a helicopter. In Brazil’s St. Paulo, the price of taking a helicopter flight is twice the cost of taking a taxi, while the flight takes one-12th the time.

During the seminar, some experts said the per-capita GDPs in several major cities in the Greater Bay Area are above US$8,000, and intercity private air services in the area are in large demand. They expected that the demand for helicopters in the Greater Bay Area will reach 1,000 in the coming three to five years.

Shenzhen is making an effort to support the development of the city’s general aviation industry by expediting the construction of helicopter pads, heliports and overwater airports. Currently, the price of a helicopter flight in Shenzhen is 1,200 yuan for 10 minutes. (Zhang Yang)