To Brad Perrett, Aviation Week & Space Technology’s Asia-Pacific bureau chief based in Beijing, “It all comes down to opening up the airspace.” He pointed out that, “The whole country is a military zone with airways carved out within it. The airspace belongs to the military, but that is changing. It used to take days to get a clearance to operate. Now it takes only 12 hours to get one, if there is space on the airways.”

The People’s Republic of China may own Hong Kong and its associated island of Macao, but whenever any of Chris Buchholz’s Metrojet pilots file for a flight to the mainland, they are treated like any other “foreign” operator.

Three primary documents will need to be arranged before heading to the PRC: a permit for the trip, visas for passengers and crew, and if headed to any of the aforementioned remote locations, permits to access restricted airports or military bases.