Four police helicopters with completed assembly are waiting for formalities in the assembling workshop of Chongqing General Aviation Industry Group (CGAG), which rely on the seven-year development of the aerospace industry in Chongqing.

As an undeveloped industry with a potential of reaching hundreds of billions yuan (1 billion yuan is about $146.5 million), Chongqing, a city with a deep heavy industrial foundation, decided to develop general aviation industry seven years ago.

CGAG had prepared for the production of Enstrom helicopter since 2013, and finally received the first production license issued in China on Dec 22, 2017, allowing the group to launch mass production and conduct international marketing of helicopters.

Police helicopter patrols over Chongqing city. [Photo/liangjiang.gov.cn]

The group has currently established a joint technology center with American Enstrom Helicopter Corporation to develop TH180 light helicopter which will soon also receive the license.

Relying on targeted investment attraction and a layout of whole industrial chain, Chongqing has attracted whole-aircraft manufacturing companies of Pilatus and Enstrom, aviation academies, and other companies involved in navigation operation, aviation finance, aviation culture and aviation informatization.

Meanwhile, 20 advanced aerospace manufacturing projects worth more than 30 billion yuan are flourishing with domestic and international top talents gathering in Chongqing and contributing to the whole industrial chain development.

A rocket base invested by Chongqing One Space Aerospace Technology Company after its first successful launch of a self-developed commercial rocket is going to start construction in Chongqing and be put into operation by the end of this year. Once completed, the base will have the capability of assembling and testing 30 carrier rockets per year.

According to the plan, Chongqing will continue to develop its general aviation and transportation aviation simultaneously. Taking the commercial rocket as an opportunity, Chongqing will connect the upstream and downstream industries to expand to the areas of satellite and communication.