China's Aviation Officials Took Bribes in Exchange for Favouring Airlines: Graft Watchdog

Some senior executives of China's Civil Aviation Administration were found to have used their power over flight routes and schedule planning to ask for huge bribes from airline companies, according to the findings of inspectors sent by the Communist Party's graft watchdog.

"Some people made use of their authority to grant approvals to receive huge amount of bribes and give [special favour] to specific airlines," according to a report published on the website of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on Sunday.

Serious corruption cases were also spotted in the company's branches involved in purchasing aviation materials, it added.

The central anti-corruption agency has released findings of its second round of inspections this year, flagging up 11 out of 26 state-owned enterprises and government departments for problems including corruption, embezzlement and abuse of power.

In a warning to the Ministry of Transport, the inspection team said some senior officials had seriously violated discipline by misusing the fund dedicated to certain transport projects and transferring public benefits to friends and associates.

Some subsidiaries of the ministry took advantage of their position to start businesses and reap huge profit for themselves, the watchdog said.

The report on Air China, one of the nation's largest airlines, blamed some staff members for playing golf and misusing vehicles, at the expense of the taxpayer. It also said the company lacked a strict and clear management system for subsidiaries.

In addition, People's Daily and Qiushi Journal, two government-run publications, were accused of transferring benefits to friends and family members, illegally occupying public property, asking for bribes in relation to news reporting and using public funds for gift giving.

Violations have been reported to the commission's investigators, the Organisation Department of the Communist Party's Central Committee and other related authorities.