During the Beijing Olympic Games in August 2008, over 1 million square kilometers of China's airspace and some 100 Olympic venues and facilities were treated as high alert areas. Air patrols were a major feature of Beijing's Olympic security operation.

This was the biggest air patrol in the history of the air force. While on patrol, the air force adopted a flat command structure, instead of normal tree model, linking up with missile defense battalions, artillery and basic fire units.

For 40 days, the national air defense system remained in a high state of combat readiness, with all leave cancelled for nearly 100,000 officers.