China seeks to fill gap in civil aviation sector

Helicopters represent a massive growth area for China's civil aviation sector, and the national aircraft manufacturer is ready to tap into this neglected market, according to industry insiders.

There are about 30,000 helicopters in use around the world, most of them in the civil sector, said Xiao Zhiyuan, publisher of World Flight magazine.

"However, the number of civil helicopters registered in China is only about 200, even less than that of the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo," he said. "In contrast, the United States has more than 10,000 civil helicopters and Russia boasts of 3,000."