China will step up the pace of restructuring its civil aviation sector this year by transferring the management rights of 93 airports to provincial governments, a senior official said Thursday.

The management transfer will involve 40 billion yuan (4.82 billion US dollars) in assets and 50,000 employees, said Gao Hongfeng, deputy director of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).

Gao said that, with the approval of the State Council, China's cabinet, all provincial-level management bureaus will be removed from the CAAC's jurisdiction before the end of the year.

He added that the Beijing Capital Airport and airports in Tibet Autonomous Region are not on the management transferal list.

The CAAC transferred its management rights of airports in central Hunan Province and western Qinghai Province to the provincial governments, respectively, in March and June.

Gao said that the reform process is aimed at preventing the devaluation of state assets and ensuring flight safety.

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