Song Zhiyong made head of China's influential civil aviation body

Song Zhiyong, who was appointed as the party boss at China’s aviation regulator last month, has replaced Feng Zhenglin to be the administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the agency’s website said. The CAAC has become one of the world’s most influential aviation regulators, alongside its US and European counterparts, after being the first to ground Boeing’s 737 MAX in 2019 after two fatal crashes. Song began his career as a pilot at Air China and has held a series of meetings at CAAC in recent weeks where he stressed the need to adhere to the Communist Party’s political leadership, to ensure aviation safety and to push for reforms in the civil aviation system, according to statements on CAAC’s website. Feng, who will reach retirement age this year, will serve a consultative role on economic affairs at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), state media said in late June. In the second half of this year, the CAAC will accelerate efforts to streamline aircraft certification, help reform the country’s air traffic control system and push for transformation of its regulatory model, Song has said. Industry group IATA says China’s domestic market alone accounts for 10% of global air traffic.<br/>