The only one of its kind in Guangdong Province, Zhuhai Aviation Industrial Park in Jinwan District has been designated as a National Hi-Tech Industrial Base for Aviation Industry by the National Development & Reform Commission, National New Industrialization Pilot Base by the Ministry of Industry & Information Technology, and National General Aviation FBO Pilot Zone by the State Civil Aviation Administration.

The park opened in November 2008. It covers 99 sqkm (38 sq miles), encompassing Zhuhai (Jinwan) Airport, the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) grounds, Sanzao Town, and the neighboring area. It focuses on general aviation production, aircraft operations and services, maintenance, parts and components, material sales and distribution, MICE, recreation, R&D, education, support businesses, bonded warehousing, and logistics.

Zhuhai Aviation Industrial Park Planning Hall [Photo courtesy WeChat account: zhuhaijinwan]

Continuous innovation and breakthroughs began with the building of the first local government flight service station in China in 2014 providing meteorological data collection and rescues services. That same year, it opened China's first low-altitude flight route (Zhuhai-Yangjiang-Luoding). China's homegrown AG600 (codenamed Kunlong), the world's largest amphibious aircraft, was also assembled in the park.

After more than 10 years of development, the park has become an aviation manufacturing base under an industry-university-research model and an aviation hi-tech industry center. Zhuhai has since been named a National Aviation High-Tech Industrial Base, National Demonstration Area for General Aviation Fixed-Base Operations, and National Comprehensive Demonstration Zone of General Aviation (GA) Industry.

Here are some of the many firms settled in the zone:

China Aviation Industry General Aircraft

Longhua Helicopters

Zhuhai Baijia Technology

Yuren Agricultural Aviation

Guangdong U-Wing Aviation Technology

Skyastar Technologies (Zhuhai)

MTU Maintenance Zhuhai

Cirrus Design Corporation

Netjets Business Aviation