If foreign companies are willing to open international airlines from cities in China's western area in the future, the country will impose little restriction in this area, Vice Director Yang Guoqing of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) was quoted as saying by the Shanghai Securities News on Tuesday.

The CAAC also encourages Chinese air companies to launch more international airlines from cities in west China, Yang said at a meeting on southwest China's economic work.

International airports located in the Greater Pearl River Delta region will be open to low-cost air companies in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries to enhance tourism cooperation between China and ASEAN, he said.

In recent years, air transport in southwest China grew rapidly, with passengers traveling by air in the region jumping 34.9 percent in 2004, the newspaper reported.

According to the CAAC plan, by the end of 2010, the six provincial areas in southwest China will have 48 airports, Yang said.

Source: Xinhua