04 Jan 2021

China Aviation Industry Newsletter 4 January

Airbus expects Tianjin unit to be a hub for aircraft deliveries Airbus said that it was hopeful that more international customers would come to China for aircraft deliveries after GECAS became the first foreign aircraft lessor to take delivery of an A320neo aircraft assembled at the company's final assembly line in Tianjin from its own order-book. Airbus has delivered 509 aircraft assembled in Tianjin. The Tianjin center, which has been in operation for 12 years. C919 jet begins cold-weather test flights in Inner Mongolia China's C919 large aircraft has started cold-weather test flights in Hulunbuir in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The aircraft arrived at the Hulunbuir Dongshan international airport last week for the test which is expected to verify the performance of the aircraft's systems and equipment in extremely cold weather. China's largest air cargo carrier sees freighter fleet reach 62 SF Airlines welcomed its 62nd all-cargo freighter which landed at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport last week announced the cargo airline. The Boeing 757-200 freighter is the newest member of SF Airlines' fleet, representing the 35th wide-body freighter of the carrier. The new aircraft will soon be put into operation, said SF Airlines. China to require 7,576 new passenger aircraft over 20 years China will need 7,576 more passenger aircraft over the next 20 years, according to a recent published report by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd. The new passenger aircraft will include 1,598 wide-body aircraft, 5,080 narrow-body aircraft and 898 regional aircraft, according to the report. The report forecasts that China’s air passenger transport market will be dominated by flights on domestic routes before 2024. OTT takes to the skies with China's ARJ21  OTT Airlines, a new subsidiary launched by China Eastern Airlines to push China's homegrown aircraft to more markets, started its first commercial service on with an ARJ21 operating between Shanghai and Beijing. Zhai Zhigang, general manager of OTT Airlines said "We will launch flights from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Beijing Daxing International Airport, Nanchang in Jiangxi province, Hefei in Anhui province, and Wenzhou in Zhejiang province, as our fleet continues to expand”. Pilot Numbers Show Steady Growth In China The number of civil aviation pilots in China reached 68,274 last year, maintaining the 10% growth rate seen in the country over the last four years. According to data reported by Asian Sky Group (ASG). 51%of those pilots hold a commercial pilot license while an additional 41% hold an airline transport pilot license. Private pilots represent 6% of the total and sport pilots account for 2%. Qatar Airways bullish on China market Qatar Airways said China's impressive COVID-19 control measures have given it the confidence to increase services between the two countries. It will further expand its operations in China by increasing flight frequencies and the number of destinations, if local policies and the industry environment permit. Acumen Aviation © 4 January 2021 All Rights Reserved.