The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China has announced new vertical airspace requirements, almost doubling the number of flights the country can handle. The move aims to make better use of airspace to prepare for the increasing traffic brought on by the 2008 Olympics.

The new standards came into effect on Thursday.

The space between aircraft will decrease from 600 meters to 300 meters. Officials say the move aims to make better use of airspace, increase air traffic flow and reduce flight delays.

Before the move, China had seven layers of aircraft between 8400 and 12,500 meters. Aviation departments in many Chinese cities had difficulties arranging flights, since airspace capacities were nearly saturated.

Wang Jian, Official of Beijing Civil Aviation Control Center said "When airspace is almost full, we usually orders flights to wait before taking off."

As a result, many flights are delayed, since there is no space to fly. But reducing vertical airspace will increase the number of layers of aircraft flying between 8400 and 12,500 meters to 13, allowing more aircraft to fly at the same time.

One official says the improvement aims to meet the increasing traffic for the 2008 Olympic Games. Although there is still nearly one year to go, civil aviation administration has already received many applications from airlines both home and abroad to increase the number of flights.

But Beijing International Airport can only accommodate 1100 flights daily. The number is expected to increase after the move.

Wang said "During the 2008 Olympics, Beijing International Airport is expected to support 1700 to 1900 flights. We have more than half-a-year's time to practice, ensuring the Olympics have good air flow."

All aircraft in the area will have two independent height measurement systems to guarantee the safety of flights. Officials say they are confident they can safely carry out the new standards.