(Yicai) May 27 -- China has the capability to achieve its goal of having at least one general airport in each county by 2030, according to an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Each of China’s 2,850 counties should have a general airport by 2030 to improve the nation’s emergency rescue capabilities, Liu Daxiang said in a speech at the eighth Drone World Congress that kicked off in Shenzhen on May 24.

There is a gap between the high demand for emergency rescue and the insufficient low-altitude rescue capability in various regions of China, as there are only over 500 registered general airports in the country, according to Liu. But this will bring vital opportunities to the growth of the domestic low-altitude industry, Liu noted.

“The general aviation industry, including the drone field, will become a main growth point for China’s high-quality economic development after the real estate, automotive, and high-speed railway industries,” Liu predicted.

The Chinese government should set up a special insurance fund for aviation emergency rescue to guarantee low-income citizens’ right to use the emergency rescue system free of charge, Liu said. The government should contribute between 40 percent and 50 percent to the fund, and insurance companies and donations the remaining share, Liu added.

China should also promote the pilot of vertical take-off and landing aircraft between cities and achieve the goal of making helicopters able to take off and land in each administrative rural area by 2035, Liu pointed out.

Moreover, China should develop new products for the general aviation industry, such as equipment and ground support facilities, to support the high-profile transformation of China’s manufacturing industry, Liu noted.

“China’s general aviation service industry can initially lease flight equipment from abroad and then promote independent research and development,” Liu suggested.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione