(Yicai Global) July 7 -- Song Zhiyong, a former pilot, has replaced Feng Zhenglin as director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, according to an announcement made on the agency's official website today. 

The move means that Song will leave his position as chairman of Air China, the country’s flag carrier and largest airline. It will also prompt further personnel changes at the Beijing-based company, and possibly a wider reshuffle in the civil aviation sector. 

It is not yet clear who will succeed Song, who has chaired Air China since the end of 2020. Ma Chongxian, its current general manager, assumed his position last year.

The pandemic has had a huge impact on the aviation industry, so as the new director of the CAAC, Song's top priority will be to help carriers survive and recover.

Last year, China's civil aviation sector lost more than CNY80 billion (USD11.93 billion), and another CNY22.2 billion in the first two months of this year. The loss in April of nearly CNY30 billion was the highest single-month loss so far. In the first quarter of this year, none of China’s listed airlines made a profit. 

According to public information, Song, 57, graduated from the First Flight Academy of the Chinese Air Force (now known as the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Harbin Flight Academy) with a degree in flying, and served as chief of Air China's air corps after joining the company in 1987.

Yicai Global learned that Feng, the CAAC’s former director, who was born in 1957, has been added to the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and will be deputy director of the Committee for Economic Affairs of the CPPCC.

Editor: Tom Litting