23 Apr 2019

China Aviation Industry Newsletter 23 April

ITB China announces Air China as new partner airline Air China will be the partner airline of ITB China 2019 marking the first time that China’s national flag carrier will hold this title. ITB China, happening from 15 to 17 May in Shanghai, is a B2B exclusive tradeshow and convention designed to be the primary event for the Chinese travel industry. Beijing Bizav Group Tackles Cost of Flying in China The Beijing Business Aviation Association (BBAA) has developed a pilot-sharing system to help China business aircraft operators not only save money on crew costs but also increase safety and efficiency. According to BBAA director general Frank Fang, the pilot-sharing effort is the first step. BBAA membership has grown to 58 since its foundation in 2016. Fang, who also works for Deer Jet, said about 20 members are operators in mainland China, which is the association's focus area. BOC Aviation delivers final Airbus A320NEO to Chongqing Airlines BOC Aviation has delivered the final of seven Airbus A320NEO aircraft to Chongqing Airlines. This aircraft is from the Company's existing order book. China's Airbus H135 Final Assembly Line Starts Operations Airbus Helicopters has expanded its industrial footprint and partnership with China with the opening of the H135 final assembly line in Qingdao. The factory is the first helicopter FAL built by a foreign manufacturer in China, as well as the first H135 FAL outside of Europe. The opening of this FAL follows a cooperation agreement signed between Airbus Helicopters and China in 2016 for the purchase of 100 H135s destined for the Chinese market. The first aircraft roll-out from Qingdao is expected to take place in the second half of 2019. Operations will start with an annual capacity of 18 helicopters, which could be doubled to accommodate future growth. The 6,500sqm Qingdao plant is composed of four working stations, a paint booth, ground and flight test areas, and a delivery centre. China Expands Support to Boost Regional Aviation China has expanded the support range of regional airplane models from seven to 13, to facilitate industry growth and bring more benefits to passengers, according to civil aviation authorities. A total of 13 aircraft models, including major models such as the China-developed ARJ21-700 and MA60 and imported CRJ-900, have been included into the support range, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Passengers of these aircraft models on regional air routes do not need to pay for the civil aviation development fund, which is a government fund charged to air passengers and operators. China Flight Inspection Center orders eight Citation XLS+ Textron Aviation's Chinese joint venture, Cessna-AVIC Aircraft, has received an order from the China Flight Inspection Center (CFIC) for eight Citation XLS+ business jets, as part of the operator's fleet expansion plan. Direct Air Route Links Zhengzhou, Osaka A new route between Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan province and Osaka has launched. The route, operated by Spring Airlines, uses an Airbus A320 aircraft and has three weekly flights. Ethiopian Airlines Considers Adding China's C919 Planes to Fleet  Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said the airline is considering adding China's C919 passenger planes to its aircraft fleet. The carrier has formed a join committee with Chinese counterparts to follow up the progress of C919 passenger aircraft. "ET's engineers are working with COMAC engineers to evaluate the suitability of C919 passenger planes. ET is currently considering adding the C919 planes to its aircraft fleet when the airplanes are ready for sales," said Gebremariam. Inaugural AsBAA China Safety Day Held in Beijing AsBAA, the Asian region's non-profit organisation for business and general aviation hosted the inaugural AsBAA China Safety Day on 12 April in Beijing. The event, which was held at Sino Jet's Beijing headquarters was well attended by government, aviation stakeholders and members of the media. Jenny Lau, Chairperson of AsBAA, said in her opening speech "We have a responsibility to ensure that we help to promote a culture of safety best practice in Asia. Safety is the foundation of this sector and will be vital in ensuring its long-term growth and sustainability." Panel with Chinese Experts to Review Boeing's Flight Control System Next Week The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday that experts from nine civil aviation authorities had confirmed their participation in a panel to review the Boeing 737 Max flight control system. The panel participants include those from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and other international aviation authorities from Australia, Brazil, Canada, EU, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, according to FAA. The CAAC ordered China's airlines to suspend commercial operations of all Boeing 737-8 airplanes after the ET302 crash. Boeing 737-8 is a type of 737 MAX aircraft. A CAAC official said last week that evaluation of the airworthiness of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes must be completed and their flight safety guaranteed before resuming operation. Sino Jet Is Fastest Growing Operator in China According to Asian Sky Group Fleet Report Sino Jet, a leading business jet management company is now the fastest growing operator in China according to statistics released by Asian Sky Group on 15 April at ABACE2019. Sino Jet's fleet increased from 30 to 39 jets in the past year. This 30% growth rate has positioned Sino Jet as the fastest growing operator in mainland China. 4D Navigation Aims to Boost Airline Efficiency Air travel in China is expected to become more predictable thanks to the successful trial of "four-dimensional" trajectory management, civil aviation authorities said. The technology, which connects an aircraft with ground systems to optimize the flight trajectories in three dimensions plus time, underwent its first trial on a round trip between Tianjin and Guangzhou in mid-March, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The system will ensure the accuracy of arrival times within 10 seconds, compared with about 10 minutes for current flights. Acumen Aviation © 23 April 2019 All Rights Reserved.