[Photo/VCG]

Hangzhou has ambitious plans for its aviation sector, it revealed at a meeting attended by a number of influential figures in the city's international aviation sector on Oct 30. 

Representatives from industry giants such as Airbus, GE, Pratt&Whitney, and Aero Engine Corporation of China, among others, assembled at the event to discuss investment and cooperation in Hangzhou. 

"There are a lot of areas (in the aviation industry) where we can cooperate, as the city leads in the development of digital economy, and has a strong foundation in manufacturing," said Chen Juming, chairman of Airbus China. 

He expressed his hope that more Chinese firms would get involved in Airbus's supply chain. 

At the meeting, the Hangzhou government outlined its "New Manufacturing Industry Plan", which was recently released to boost its manufacturing industry. 

As a significant part of the plan, aeronautical manufacturing is expected to reshape the city's core competiveness.

According to the guidelines issued by the Zhejiang Provincial Government, the province aims to increase the value of its aeronautical manufacturing industry to 300 billion yuan ($42.65 billion) by 2025.

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang, shirks no responsibilities when it comes to pioneering the growth of the province's aviation sector.

In recent years, Hangzhou's aviation industry has been on the rise.

Loong Air, which is the only airline to operate both freight and passenger services, was recently signed to become the official airline for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. 

Headquartered in Hangzhou, XIZI UHC has obtained 287 qualification certificates. The corporation was entrusted to produce the cabin door of COMAC C919, and airplane parts for several large airlines such as Bombardier, Airbus and Boeing. 

In April, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics signed a cooperation deal with Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile to co-found an aviation university for training.

On Oct 18, a new construction plan for the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport was approved. The plan says that Hangzhou will complete construction on T4 terminal by 2022, and it will be able to handle 90 million passengers.

The newly-established Qiantang New Area is planning a 5-square-kilometer industrial park for aeronautics and astronautics.