The sea breeze sweeps across the vast apron, carrying the sharp scent of salt and engine oil. Rows of aircraft wings stand in disciplined formation, while the steady click of wrenches rings across the hangars, a rhythm unique to aviation maintenance. This is the One-Stop Aircraft Maintenance Industrial Base at the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), where cross-border repair operations are in full swing.
On December 18, 2025, Hainan will officially launch special customs operations. Eight existing ports on the island become first-line customs ports, while the province shifts to a second-line management model. The new framework offers zero tariffs, a negative list for trade in services, a 15 percent preferential income tax rate for companies and individuals, off-island duty-free shopping, and a 30 percent value-added processing rule for tariff-free entry into the Chinese mainland—measures designed to accelerate Hainan's opening-up.
Regulated access at the second line ensures smooth flows of goods, capital, talent, and data between Hainan and the mainland, reinforcing the island's strategic positioning as one of the Chinese mainland's 'three zones and one center' for comprehensive reform and high-level opening-up.
Under these policies, Hainan is poised to become a major platform for two-way circulation of economic factors. Domestic and foreign companies, technical talent, and global capital will converge at unprecedented speed, fueling growth in tourism and consumption, high-tech manufacturing, modern services, and tropical agriculture. As these sectors expand, international trade, investment, and shipping will follow suit.
Civil aviation sits at the forefront of this momentum. Rising passenger flows and logistics demand have created a surge in bonded aircraft maintenance—a niche once dominated by established overseas markets. In recent years, Hainan's maintenance sector has forged partnerships with international airlines, signaling the emergence of a new growth engine.
The journey began with the 2022 Master Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, which designated international shipping and aviation hubs along a new land-sea corridor in western China. The One-Stop Aircraft Maintenance Base launched the same year but faced skepticism. 'Can Hainan handle large aircraft maintenance? Some overseas airlines remained doubtful,' recalls Gu Zhilin, director of HNA Technic's Grand China Aviation Maintenance Co., Ltd.
Undeterred, Gu and his team pursued new opportunities and worked tirelessly to earn client trust. Their breakthrough came in October 2022, when they secured their first international contract—maintenance for an Airbus A320 operated by a foreign carrier.
Team members approached the task with absolute rigor, checking every torque and connection without compromise. Crucially, Hainan's bonded policies allowed the base to pre-stock essential parts, cutting procurement time from weeks to days and slashing costs. That first success opened doors to global markets.
Today, Hainan's aviation maintenance industry benefits from no-deposit imports for repairs, reducing total maintenance costs by 10 to 15 percent. A bonded 'aviation parts supermarket' offers immediate, duty-free access to components, while customs fast-track models ensure rapid clearance of international repair orders.
As Hainan's FTP operations take off, the island is set to chart a new course in global aviation and trade, where sky-high ambitions meet fast-tracked reality.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
