The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) signed an international pact in Xi'an on Monday, pledging to prevent the spread of communicable diseases via air travel.

Yang Guoqing, deputy head of CAAC, signed the "Cooperative Arrangement for Preventing the Spread of Communicable Diseases through Air Travel" (CAPSCA) with Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, president of the Council of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), at the 44th Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation Asia and Pacific Region in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an.

Yang said he hoped to ensure passengers clean and safe air travel through the agreement and CAAC's efforts.

CAAC has selected two experienced aeronautical medical experts to join an expert panel of ICAO that will make evaluations about the precautionary measures on diseases taken by the airports in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Yang said.

The CAPSCA project was jointly initiated by the ICAO, the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) and the Airports Council International (ACI) with the aim of reducing the risk of spreading avian influenza and similar communicable diseases by air travel.

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2007)