23 Apr 2018

China Aviation Industry Newsletter 23 April

Aeroflot Named China's Favourite International Airline for Second Consecutive Year Aeroflot has been once again recognised as the Favourite International Airline in China. The prestigious award was given to Aeroflot for the second consecutive year at the Flyer Award Ceremony 2018. The official ceremony was held for the sixth time in Shanghai, the economic capital of China. The awards are supported by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) inflight magazine and leading sector publication China Aviation Magazine. Winners are selected by the jury and by votes from frequent flyers and travellers. Ameco, Lufthansa To Look at Maintenance Collaborations Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering is poised to extend its reach further into the business aviation market under a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Lufthansa Technik. This lays the groundwork for a long-term partnership to provide business jet services. Under the collaboration, the partners will explore areas where they can leverage their strengths to help increase support availability and technical expertise for the growing business jet market in China. They also plan to develop new maintenance offerings to meet market demands. The MoU is the first step in the partnership, with the details to be hashed out. CAAC Forum Celebrates General Aviation Progress in China Huaiyu Jiang, director general of the CAAC East China Regional Administration, highlighted some welcome developments in Chinese general aviation, which includes business aviation, today during the CAAC Forum at ABACE 2018. The CAAC Forum, held every year at ABACE, provides a venue for government and industry officials to summarize progress in development of general aviation in China and to cement the bonds between civilian and government aviation personnel. This year, Huaiyu spoke about loosened controls and simplified procedures, which he said are facilitating growth in general aviation pilot populations, maintenance operations, charter and aircraft management businesses, and airports. Chinese companies flocking to leading world center for aircraft leasing It is Ireland's status as a leading world center for aircraft leasing that led He Chengyu to travel 8,600 kilometers from Dalian in China to start an MSc in aviation finance at University College Dublin. In recent years, Chinese companies have pumped capital into the industry, with 18 groups from China using Dublin as a strategic foothold in their push for a bigger share of the booming global aircraft leasing market. Read more here. China Market Becoming More Discerning Buyers are becoming much more discerning and educated about aircraft purchases as the market matures, said Jason Liao, chairman and CEO of China Business Aviation Group. During a roundtable discussion at ABACE 2018, Liao described the evolving nature of the market in the region. The first generation of buyers did not care as much about the specifications of the aircraft being purchased, Liao said. Purchase decisions frequently were made based on purchases made by peers and friends. But with the second generation, he added, buyers are now looking for the best airplane to suit their needs, learning about the data and evaluating the costs and expenses. The China market has been tilted toward the long-range, more costly business aircraft. ‘China’s Hawaii’ Expands Visa-Free Access to 33 More Countries China has extended visa-free access to Hainan for another 33 countries, as President Xi Jinping seeks to boost the tropical province’s popularity among foreign tourists. New regulations expanding the travel privileges to 59 nations come into effect in May, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the State Immigration Administration. Tourists from those countries can enter the province as individuals without a visa and stay for as many as 30 days in a shift from previous policy that required people to travel in groups and stay no longer than 21 days. COMAC to set up a US$1.59 billion aircraft industry fund Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) plans to set up a CNY10 billion (US$1.59 billion) aircraft industry fund in 2018 to help increase the development of large aircraft in the country. Participants in the funds will be expected to provide supporting products and components to COMAC. Donaldson IBF cleared for use in China The Civil Aviation Administration of China has validated the H125 (formerly AS350) Donaldson Aerospace & Defense Inlet Barrier Filter (IBF) Supplemental Type Certificate, clearing the way for installation of IBFs on Airbus H125 helicopters in China. Baoli Aviation is the first operator to install and fly with the IBFs in China, where it operates a fleet of six H125s. Honda Aircraft Company Announces HondaJet China Will Expand Operations At Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Honda Aircraft Company announced that HondaJet China (Honsan General Aviation Co., Ltd.) will expand their operations at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport's fixed-based operator (FBO) complex. The announcement was made during the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (ABACE) in Shanghai, China. HondaJet China has signed an agreement with Yitong Business Aviation Service Co., a subsidiary of Guangdong Airport Authority, for an 8,800 square meter expansion of its facility at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport's FBO. The new state-of-the-art facility will feature a HondaJet sales showroom and dedicated service area that can accommodate up to 20 HondaJets. It is expected to be completed by mid-2019. Norwegian Air transfers six B787-9s to BOC Aviation Norwegian Air Shuttle transferred an order for six B787-9s to Singapore lessor, BOC Aviation. The aircraft are worth US$1.69 billion at list prices. According to Boeing's lastest Orders & Deliveries update, the swap was made recently. In addition, BOC Aviation filed a stock exchange filing, confirming it had purchased the Dreamliners. Textron Aviation China Reps Order 52 Skyhawks Textron Aviation received orders for 52 Cessna Skyhawk piston singles that will help build up China’s trainer fleets as well as expand on operations in the country. The orders include a deal for 39 Skyhawks from Hairuo General Aviation and 13 from Hubei Sky-Blue International Aviation Academy. The aircraft are to be delivered this year. Acumen Aviation © 23 April All Rights Reserved.