China and EU sign bilateral aviation agreements

This week, the European Union and China signed bilateral agreements on civil aviation safety and a “horizontal aviation agreement,” allowing EU airlines to fly to China from any EU Member State with a bilateral air services agreement with China under which unused traffic rights are available. The agreements are expected to expand cooperation between China and the EU in civil aviation safety areas including airworthiness and environmental certification, flight operations, air traffic control, licensing, and training, according to a report from CAAC News. The agreements are also expected to have significant economic benefits of about €3.5 billion for the EU and China by 2025, with expansions in passenger and freight operations. Currently, the European Commission estimates there are about 110 weekly round-trip freighter flights between China and the EU.