China’s Civil Aviation at the Beginning of the 21st Century – Can Europe Remain Competitive?

Abstract

The paper is divided into six sections. After a brief introduction it provides a simple statistical comparison of selected civil aviation indicators in China and in the USA. The next three sections deal with the state of the three pillars of aviation in China; that is airports, airlines and aircraft production, as compared to the European Union. The final section provides conclusions about whether and how the European air transportation sector can remain competitive.