74 new airports to be completed by 2020: trips to small cities easier

China is aiming to have 74 more civil transport airports by 2020, according to a report released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The report provides the blueprint and sets the goals for the development of China's civil aviation industry during the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period, which outlines the government plans for economic and social development over a period of five years.

The report says the country will continue to construct 30, and build 44 new, civil transport airports between 2016 and 2020, and the number of civil transport airports will reach about 260 by 2020.

These projects would make trips to China's third tier cities (generally the medium-sized cities of each province) much easier, according to the report.

The country's airline on-time arrival rate was 67 percent in 2015, but the report said it aims to increase that figure to 80 percent by 2020.

It is also aiming at a 28 percent increase in air passenger turnover volume by 2020.

Meanwhile, it is anticipated that the number of air passengers in China will grow to 720 million, the country's total civil aviation turnover would reach 142 billion tons, and cargo and mail turnover will reach 8.5 million tons in 2020, according to the report.

As for China's general aviation airports, during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) period, the number has already reached 310, with the hope that number would reach 500 before 2020, according to CAAC.

It's also hoped there will be over 5,000 general aviation aircraft and 7,000 general aviation pilots by 2020.

General aviation is defined as "all civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air transport operations for remuneration or hire", according to International Civil Aviation Organization.