11 Feb 2019

China Aviation Industry Newsletter 11 February

China's MA700 regional plane expected to conduct maiden flight in 2019 China-developed MA700, a new model of high-speed turboprop regional aircraft, is expected to conduct its maiden flight in 2019, according to its developer. The MA700 is expected to receive the type certificate (TC) from civil aviation authorities by 2021, according to AVIC. The MA700 has received 185 intended orders from 11 customers. China leads influx of tourists to Vietnam, reports analyst OAG Vietnam has become a must-visit destination for many travellers in Asia, with international capacity almost doubling in the past three years, according to analyst OAG. Capacity from China has also seen strong growth, with airlines adding 49 new routes in the last three years to reach a total of 93 in 2018. “However, there is a lot of churn in the tail-end of routes with 24 being dropped and 30 being introduced between 2017 and 2018,” wrote Deirdre Fulton. China sees over 12 million trips during Spring Festival holiday A total of 12.59 million air passenger trips were made during Spring Festival holiday , up 10.6% from last year's holiday, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). A total of 111,000 flights were dispatched during the period, up 6% year on year Ethiopian airline envisages greater Africa-China air connectivity Ethiopian Airlines revealed plans of becoming the most Chinese-friendly airline in Africa, with various initiatives in the pipeline to boost air connectivity between Africa and China With five dedicated flight routes to China the carrier is now the largest airline in Africa connecting the continent with five major Chinese cities that are Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou. IFE vendor invests in China after CAAC relaxes restrictions IFE vendor, Display Interactive has been selected to participate in the fourth Impact China 2019​ business accelerator program, a scheme organized by Bpifrance and Business France to empower French Tech and ​French Fab​ companies’ development in the Chinese market. Display Interactive’s executives made the decision to invest in the Chinese market in January 2018, when CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) relaxed restrictions on mobile devices use on aircraft, which opened the doors to a growing number of Chinese airlines embracing in-flight connectivity and digitalization on board. Lao Airlines expects significant rise in Chinese bookings Lao Airlines staff believe the number of Chinese customers could surge to 241,500 this year, an increase of about 42% compared to last year when Chinese nationals made 170,500 flight reservations. Lao Airlines now has more flights to China than to any other country with 21 weekly flights. Menzies Aviation Renews Air China Cargo Contract at Los Angeles International Airport Menzies Aviation announced a three-year contract renewal with Air China at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which sees Menzies extend its partnership with China’s national carrier in the Americas region. Menzies Aviation will deliver a full suite of cargo handling services including cargo warehousing, freighter handling, and passenger ramp services, handled by a team of over 200 staff. The contract means that Menzies will handle over 60,000 tonnes of cargo per year at LAX, where it has already enjoyed a longstanding partnership with Air China dating back to 2001. Acumen Aviation © 11 February 2019 All Rights Reserved.