The first general aviation aerodrome in Hunan province began construction on Sep. 28 in Kaihui town, Changsha county.

Approved by the State Council, the first phase of the aerodrome will cover an area of 143 mu (9.55 hectares), enough to accommodate 41 helicopters of EC135 size or smaller.

With an estimated investment of 83.63 million yuan (US$12.52 million), the project will contain nine parking lots for helicopters, a 2,000-square-meter terminal, rescue station, meteorological center and power center.

General aviation refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial.

"The general aviation industry has met great opportunity after the opening of low-altitude airspace in China," said Yi Mihua, general manager of Hunan Huaxing General Aviation, a Changsha-based company that is undertaking the project.

It took five years for the company to choose the site and prepare the infrastructure.

After construction, the aerodrome will facilitate operations used for specialized services such as agriculture, construction, photography, surveying, observation and patrol, search and rescue and aerial development.

It is hoped that Hunan will develop an industrial supply chain around general aviation and continue to promote the industry in the future.