16 Sep 2019

China Aviation Industry Newsletter 16 September

China’s Daxing International Eyes 30 September Launch Date Beijing’s upcoming mega-airport, Daxing International, is one step closer to opening ahead of its planned September 30 launch date following the successful completion of six comprehensive simulation exercises, Chinese regulators said in a statement. According to an agency statement, a final round of inspections. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) did not elaborate on the findings but said the airport could become operational as of September 15 pending rectification of all outstanding issues. Fitch Assigns 'A-' to BOC Aviation's Senior Unsecured Notes Fitch Ratings has assigned a rating of 'A-' to BOC Aviation Limited's (BOC Aviation, A-/Stable) USD500 million 3% senior unsecured notes due 2029. The notes are issued under the company's USD10 billion global medium-term note programme and listed on Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited in September 2019. BOC Aviation plans to use the proceeds from the issuance to fund new capital expenditure, general corporate purposes and/or refinancing existing borrowings MTU Maintenance Zhuhai to maintain, repair and overhaul LEAP engines MTU Maintenance Zhuhai announced that it now has the capability to maintain CFM International LEAP engines. The General Support License Agreement (GSLA) signed between China Southern, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai’s 50/50 joint venture partner alongside MTU Aero Engines, and CFM International will enable the facility to maintain, repair and overhaul LEAP-1A and -1B engines. The first quick turn LEAP-1B engine was inducted today. Alongside the newly introduced capabilities, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai is also celebrating groundbreaking on its 50 percent expansion today, taking it to a capacity of 450 shop visits by 2021. “We are delighted to announce that we will be incorporating the LEAP into our engine MRO portfolio,” says Michael Schreyögg, Chief Program Officer. “With around 30 engines in service, MTU Maintenance has the largest engine portfolio worldwide. The next generation LEAP engine is a natural evolution, especially in Zhuhai, where we are the largest narrow-body engine shop in Asia and already experts for the CFM56 engine family.” MTU Maintenance Zhuhai has carried out significant preparations for the implementation of the LEAP program at its facility in the Zhuhai Free Trade Zone, close to Hong Kong and Macao. These include the procurement of tooling and testing equipment, review of technical documents, employee training as well as obtaining the necessary aviation authority approvals. Set up in 2001, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai is the number one engine shop in China and specialized in V2500 and CFM56 engines. The company is in the process of expanding its capacity by 50 percent for the second time in less than ten years. Partnership brings in-flight connectivity to China Gogo and APT Mobile Satcom Limited (APSATCOM), are partnering to provide in-flight connectivity (IFC) service for Chinese airlines with Gogo’s satellite connectivity solution 2Ku. Gogo will leverage APSATCOM’s Ku-band network to enable the fastest in-flight Wi-Fi solution within China for domestic and international airlines. APSATCOM’s network includes both wide-beam satellites and High-Throughput Satellites (HTS), with the APSTAR 6D satellite bringing significant HTS capacity and 100% coverage over China for in-flight connectivity in mid-2020. XiamenAir Chairman Zhao Dong Addresses APEX 40th Anniversary Celebration in Los Angeles XiamenAir Chairman Zhao Dong addressed the Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) Association's 40th anniversary celebration, running from September 9 until September 12, in Los Angeles. Chairman Zhao Dong spoke at the invitation of the United Nations (UN), outlining four effort areas XiamenAir is advancing to realize the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Chairman Zhao Dong spoke at the thought leadership conference, sharing XiamenAir's exploration of sustainable development with industry leaders jointly discussing the sustainable development direction of the aviation industry. Acumen Aviation © 16 September August 2019 All Rights Reserved.