According to a forecast for the global aviation market recently released by Airbus, China’s air passenger traffic will grow five times and  air cargo six times from 2008 to 2026.

The Chinese mainland will need to add more than 2,800 passenger aircraft and cargo aircraft with a total value of more than $329 billion, meaning a three-time increase in the number of passenger aircraft and 11-fold increase in the number of cargo aircraft.

The additional aircraft needed by the Chinese mainland will take up 11.6% of the global passenger and cargo aircraft demand (24,000) for the same period. This will make China the second largest aviation market with the United States retaining first position.

According to this forecast, the additional aircraft in the Chinese mainland will include 1900 single-aisle aircraft, about 700 twin-aisle aircraft and 190 super large aircraft.
Source: English People’s Daily Online

Hainan Airlines, China’s fourth-largest carrier, begins nonstop service from Seattle (in our illustration on the left) to Beijing on June 9. Northwest Airlines will follow with a daily nonstop service between Seattle and Beijing in March 2009. These are moves which will make a lot of Microsoft executives very happy.

The new Northwest Airlines service will use Airbus A330-200s equipped with 32 business-class seats and 211 economy-class seats.

Joel Chusid, North American general manager for Hainan Airlines, whose new Seattle-Beijing service begins next month, said, ‘This just validates the fact that Seattle has become a major gateway to the Pacific. Competition is competition, but we understand it. It just speaks to the vibrancy of the market.’

Last year, about 69,000 passengers flew between Seattle and China, not including passengers connecting through Seattle from other cities. By 2009, that number is expected to nearly double.
Source: The Seattle Times

China’s Xiamen International Airport Group has said it is considering partnerships with Taiwan carriers in the hope that working together the two sides could establish regular weekly flights.

The airport, located in southeast China’s Fujian province just across from Taiwan, is looking at various options, including transforming itself into an air cargo hub for flights to Taiwan.

However, we are still at the tentative stage. It has not yet entered into concrete negotiations with air companies from Taiwan.

The state-owned airport group was well positioned for closer cooperation with Taiwanese carriers as it had been taking chartered flights between Taiwan and the mainland for years.

The incoming government of Taiwan president-elect Ma Ying-jeou seems to be leaning towards July 4 for the start of the first regular direct charter flights between China and Taiwan in this new relationship.

Currently, only holiday services are allowed on passenger charter flights, and cargo flights are conducted on a case-by-case basis. Soon — how soon and by whom remains to be decided — there will be regular flights. It will come as no surprise to anyone that American airlines are demanding that they be allowed in on this route citing the open skies policy. Logic tells us this is unlikely.
Source: AFP

Air China, the official airline partner of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, has set up a 24-hour command center to ensure smooth air traffic during the Games.

Cai Jianjiang, Air China’s president, said the company had invested RMB568 million (about $81 million) to improve its ground control system and train employees.

The company had recruited 300 new stewards and selected 562 volunteers from current staff to work for the Games.

The new center would facilitate the coordination between the airline and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and other key units at the Beijing Capital International Airport.
Source: China View

The first A320 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) in the Southwest China area has passed acceptance inspection of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The CAAC evaluated the performance of the A320 FFS at the Flight Training Center of the Training Department of Air China Southwest Branch. The full-flight simulator, with a value amounting to more than RMB150 million, was formally put into operation after the approval of the CAAC.

Air China Southwest Branch currently owns and operates one A320 FFS, one A320 Flight Training Device, and one B737-300 FFS.

The branch airline has established an advanced and all-weather flight training base with an investment of RMB270 million.

The addition of the A320 FSS advances the airline’s level of flight training for the west plateau air route into a new stage. The great advantage of a simulator is that it can be worked pretty much around the clock. China has a great need for pilots. One way of helping ease that need is to get a lot more simulators into action so that pilots can train up rapidly. Especially in the new co-operative cockpit drills.
Source: China Civil Aviation