Flight Regularity Assessment Indicators and Control Measures 2020

In order to implement the Provisions on the Administration of Flight Regularity, improve the flight regularity assessment mechanism, strive to improve the level of flight regularity and promote the high-quality development of the industry, the flight regularity assessment indicators and control measures are hereby proposed.

1. Assessment indicators and control measures for airlines 

1) For the airports with passenger throughput of more than 20 million (inclusive) (based on the previous year), if the flight regularity rate of domestic passenger departure in the current month is less than 50% (exclusive) and ranks the last three, for which the airlines' own reasons account for the highest proportion (a tie proportion inclusive), the slots of such flights shall be cancelled from the second month after a circulated notice of criticism (excluding the current month). However, the flights with the number of scheduled flights per month less than 8 (exclusive) or the flights for domestic exclusive flight sectors are not included in the statistical coverage.

2) Where a domestic passenger airline implements its pre-flight plan in a main or auxiliary airport at a rate less than 85% (exclusive) in the current month, the application by the airline for any new pre-flight plan in the airport shall be refused for three consecutive months starting from the date of the circulated notice of criticism thereof. If an airline receives circulated notice of criticism over three times (inclusive) concerning the flights at the same time in the same year in the same main or auxiliary airport, the application for all pre-flight plans for any new or increased flights of the airline for all time schedules in the main or auxiliary airport shall be refused for three consecutive months starting from the date of the circulated notice of criticism thereof, except for the airlines whose number of scheduled pre-flights in the airport in the current month is less than 8 flights (exclusive).

3) When irregular flights that are attributed to an airline’s own reasons account for more than 7% (inclusive) of the total scheduled flights in the current month (the number of irregular flights caused by the airline itself divided by the number of all scheduled flights*100%≥7%), the applications for any extra passenger flight, charter flights or new flights or routes of three such airlines with the highest ratio will be suspended for three successive months since the issuance of a notification.

4) When the regularity rate of a passenger airline’s arriving flights is lower than 70% (exclusive) in the current month and is ranked in the bottom three, a notice of criticism will be circulated; when this happens for three successive months, the airline’s application for any extra passenger flights, charter flights or new flights or routes will be suspended for three successive months since the issuance of a notification.

Note: in the implementation of the assessment indicators and control measures in Article 3 and 4 above, foreign, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan passenger airlines are ranked separately from domestic passenger airlines. Foreign, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan airlines are ranked according to the total number of flights in 2019 more than 2000 (inclusive) and below 2000.

2. Assessment Indicators and Control Measures for Airports

1) If the weighted average of the current-month flight release and take-off regularity rates of an airport with a passenger throughput of more than 20 million (inclusive) (based on the previous year) is less than 75% (exclusive) and ranks the last three, a circulated notice of criticism shall be issued to the airport; if it is less than 75% (exclusive) each month and ranks the last three for two consecutive months, any application by the airport for extra passenger flights, charter flights and new airline flights and routes shall be refused for three consecutive months starting from the date of the notice thereof (except for normal season-specific flight change, special extra and charter flights, and new international routes).

Note: the weighted proportion of flight release and take-off regularity rate is determined by 70% and 30%.

2) When the take-off regularity rate of originating flights of an airport with a passenger throughput of more than 20 million (inclusive) (based on the previous year) is lower than 75% (exclusive) in the current month, a circulated notice of criticism shall be issued to the airport; if it is less than 75% (exclusive) each month and ranks the last three for two consecutive months, any application by the airport for extra passenger flights, charter flights and new airline flights and routes shall be refused for three consecutive months starting from the date of the notice thereof (except for normal season-specific flight change, special extra and charter flights, and new international routes).

3) If the above two airport assessment indicators fail to meet the standards each month and for three consecutive months, the regional administration shall reduce the coordination parameters of flights in each period of the airport by two sorties from the second month after the notice (excluding the current month), and report to CAAC for filing.

3. Air traffic control assessment indicators and control measures

If the number of irregular flights caused by air traffic control accounts for more than 3% (inclusive) of the scheduled flights in the current month, the punishment shall be carried out in accordance with the Provisions on the Administration of Flight Regularity.

4. Miscellaneous

If the important matters specified by CAAC Air Transport (General Aviation) Commission fail to be completed as required on time, the relevant measures shall be taken by the Committee.

5. Relevant Requirements

1) CAAC Operation supervisory Center shall make statistics on relevant data from January 2020, and CAAC Department of Transportation shall issue a notice on a monthly basis.

2) All regional administrations shall attach great importance to the work of flight regularity, conscientiously fulfill the responsibilities for supervision and management of flight regularity and strictly implement the above-mentioned control measures.

3) All units shall feed-back promptly to CAAC in case of major problems during implementation.

4) This assessment indicators and control measures shall be implemented from January 1, 2020.

 CC: all regulatory bureaus, regional air traffic control bureaus, all CAAC departments.

 General Department of Civil Aviation Administration of China 

 Printed and distributed on December 24,2019