On November 7, CAAC and Shaanxi Province held a strategic cooperation forum in Xi'an. CAAC Administrator Feng Zhenglin and Secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee Hu Heping attended and addressed the meeting. Liu Guozhong, Governor of Shaanxi Province, presided over the forum. On behalf of the two sides, CAAC Deputy Administrator Wang Zhiqing and Vice Governor of Shaanxi Province Chen Guoqiang signed the Agreement on Promoting Strategic Cooperation for the High Quality Development of Civil Aviation in Shaanxi (the Agreement). Northwest International Cargo Airlines was officially inaugurated at the meeting.

According to the Agreement, CAAC and Shaanxi Province will, based on the underlying principle of “complementary advantages, joint construction and sharing, win-win cooperation, and coordinated development”, jointly promote the construction of an international aviation hub in Xi'an and work out a strategic hub construction plan, to create an “international transport corridor” and an international aviation hub serving countries along the “Belt and Road”. Also, the two sides will: step up the execution of the phase III expansion project at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, support Shaanxi in establishing base companies and branches for large airlines and in setting up base cargo airlines, and provide air traffic rights and slots for the launch of international passenger and cargo routes to/from the countries along the “Belt and Road”; jointly improve the quality of airport construction and operation, optimize the airport operation environment, carry out preliminary work for the new airports in Fugu, Baoji, Dingbian, speed up the reconstruction and expansion project at Yulin Airport and the relocation of the airports in Yanan and Ankang, and provide additional operation support for regional airports; jointly improve the level of service support to flight operation, promote the meticulous management and use of military and civil airspace, speed up the planning and construction of Xi'an Terminal Control Center, strengthen cooperation in the training of civil aviation professionals, and establish a talent exchange mechanism; jointly promote the integration and development of the general aviation industry, step up the construction of the Xi’an General Aviation Industry Demonstration Zone and the integrated service platform for the GA industry, and strengthen the planning and construction of GA airports and Flight Service Stations (FSS); support the GA enterprises in Shaanxi Province in conducting pilot activities in medical rescue, short-haul transport, GA based province-wide travel, UAVs enabled logistics and delivery, emergency rescue and other services aimed at improved livelihood; and jointly promote the development of airport economic zones and aviation industry in Shaanxi, support the construction of Airport New City of Xixian New area as a state-level airport economic demonstration zone, and promote the development of the entire aviation industry chain in the province, in an effort to build Shaanxi Province into a large-scale civil aviation industry cluster and a role model in integrated civil-military operation.

During his stay in Shaanxi, Feng Zhenglin paid an inspection visit to China West Airport Group, where he was informed of the progress in the Phase III expansion project of Xianyang Airport and of the operation of Xianyang Airport Operation Management Committee. He recognized the achievements made by Xi’an Xianyang Airport in terms of infrastructure construction and flight regularity. He also called for Xi’an Xianyang Airport to aim for a “safe, green, smart and culture airport”, adhere to the concept of “development for the people”, further expand the development space and improve the quality of development, thus contributing more to the high-quality development of civil aviation industry in Shaanxi.