Subsidy for regional aviation will double in 2014

To boost regional aviation, 23 airlines will receive a 912 million yuan ($150 million) subsidy for regional routes in 2014, a figure more than twice this year's subsidy, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced.

China Eastern Airlines will get the most with 211 million yuan and Tianjin Airlines — China's largest regional carrier, will get 153 million yuan, according to the plan.

Besides the large airlines, middle-and-small size airlines, including Sichuan Airlines, Joy Air and China Express Airlines, will get more than 10 million in subsidies in 2014.

CAAC spent more than 5 billion yuan on subsidies in the past five years to support regional airlines, routes and airport construction.