18 Nov 2019

China Aviation Industry Newsletter 18 November

BOC Aviation Delivers First of Ten Airbus A320neo Aircraft To Air China BOC Aviation announced that it has delivered the first of ten new Airbus A320NEO aircraft to Air China. The aircraft will be powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF™ PW1100G-JM engines. “We are pleased to deliver the first of ten new Airbus A320NEOs on lease to Air China. This transaction of ten aircraft with the Chinese flag carrier speaks to BOC Aviation’s capability to execute large-volume transactions and to provide our customers with fuel-efficient and technologically advanced aircraft,” said Robert Martin, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, BOC Aviation. “We look forward to working closely with the Air China team in the delivery of the remaining nine A320NEO aircraft and to continuing to build on our long and successful relationship with Air China,” he added. BOC Aviation Delivers Two Airbus A321Neo Aircraft To Sichuan Airlines BOC Aviation announced that it has delivered the final two of five Airbus A321NEO aircraft on lease to Sichuan Airlines. These aircraft are powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF™ PW1100G-JM engines, and were delivered from the Company’s existing order book. “Sichuan Airlines is very pleased to have partnered with BOC Aviation for our latest two A321NEO aircraft, as we continue to grow our network and connectivity in the region. With this latest delivery, we now have 19 A320NEO family aircraft in our fleet,” said Li Haiying, Chairman of Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd. “The BOC Aviation team has continued to demonstrate strong support in fulfilling our needs for modern aircraft that reduce fuel consumption and provide an environmentally-friendly ride for our passengers.” China Eastern Airlines Announces New Routes, Deals at CIIE China Eastern Airlines announced launch of new routes and acquisition of products during the ongoing second China International Import Expo to increase its presence in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. The airline signed 14 agreements with suppliers from nine countries and regions last week covering areas of aviation engine procurement and maintenance, aviation fuel, food and drinks on board, pilot training, IT services. Total value of the deals signed this year is projected to exceed 15.07 billion yuan inked last year. China's Resort Island Hainan Launches More Air Routes to Connect the World  A new air route connecting the city of Busan, the Republic of Korea and Haikou, capital of China's southernmost province of Hainan, will begin running on 27 November. Operated by Air Busan, the flight will be carried out twice a week. It is one of the 24 international air routes newly opened in Hainan this year. Hainan, once an isolated and backward island, has stepped up efforts to launch more overseas air routes to reinforce its connection with the world. So far, the province has 98 overseas air routes, according to the provincial transport authority. China's 1st Four-Seat Electric Aircraft Makes Successful Flight China's first four-seat electric aircraft has completed a successful flight in Shenyang Tuesday morning, marking the birth of a new aircraft product and the nation's leading position in electric aircraft development. The electric plane, named RX4E, was developed by Liaoning General Aviation Research Institute of Shenyang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Zhao Tienan, vice-president of Liaoning General Aviation Research Institute, said the takeoff weight of RX4E is 1,200 kilograms and its endurance time 1.5 hours. Its maximum range reaches 300 kilometers with a cruise speed of 200 kilometers per hour. "With the development of battery energy storage technology, the flight time and range of RX4E can be further improved," said Zhao. More Airports in Pipeline As Travel Demand Rises China is expected to have around 450 civil airports by 2035 to meet people's burgeoning demand for air travel, according to the civil aviation authority. The country will step up efforts to build more than 200 airports over the next 15 years. By that time, China's airports will be able to handle more than 3 billion passenger trips every year, according to Dong Zhiyi, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. "General aviation airports increased from 158 in 2009 to 238 as of the end of October, with 37 handling over 10 million passenger trips annually," Dong said during a national airport conference in Dalian, Liaoning province. "Meanwhile, air passenger trips also rocketed from 410 million to 1.26 billion during the same period." China is expected to serve 1.4 billion passengers annually by 2035, exceeding the number served in the United States and make China the largest air passenger market in the world, according to a forecast by the administration last year. Acumen Aviation © 18 November 2019 All Rights Reserved.