China Express receives first ARJ21 aircraft

China Express Airlines and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) held a signing ceremony of 100 China-made commercial aircraft and delivery ceremony of the first ARJ21 aircraft in Chongqing on November 10th, 2020. An ARJ21 aircraft with a fuselage painting of "China Express Tongcheng" and a nationality registration number of B-650P landed smoothly at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in that morning. This indicates that ARJ21 aircraft has officially joined in the fleet of China Express which has focused on regional aviation operation in China for a long term, the number of operators of the China-made commercial aircraft is increased to seven, and the regional aviation network in China will be further enriched to promote the popularized development of the civil aviation industry.

Mdm Ren Hong, First-Level Inspector of the Basic Industries Department of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Mr. Xu Chunrong, Deputy Director of the Equipment Industry Department II of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Mr. He Dongfeng, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of COMAC, Mr. Hu Xiaojun, Chairman of China Express, and Mr. Sun Yiqing, President of SPDB Financial Leasing Co., Ltd., attended the ceremony and made a speech respectively. Mr. Zhao Yuerang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of COMAC, presented a commemorative key to Mr. Wu Longjiang, CEO of China Express. Mr. Han Jun, Director of the Development & Planning Department of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and Mr. Tan Wangeng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of COMAC, attended the ceremony.

Mr. Guo Bozhi, Vice President of COMAC, issued an aircraft sales certificate to Mdm Chen Xiang, Vice President of SPDB Financial Leasing. Mr. Xu Dongyi, Deputy Director of CAAC Southwest Regional Administration, issued the Registration Certificate, Airworthiness Certificate and Radio Station License for the first ARJ21 aircraft of China Express to Mr. Li Zhiliang, President of China Express, on behalf of relevant units of CAAC.

Mdm Ren Hong expressed that regional aviation had broad development prospects in the air transport market of our country, so the future of the China-made regional aircraft would be promising. NDRC would further establish a coordination mechanism to expand the market of the China-made commercial aircraft, improve the aviation service level, and help the sustained and stable development of the China-made aircraft. She sincerely hoped that China Express and COMAC could work together to serve the public, soar into the blue sky and achieve their dreams.

Mr. Xu Chunrong express that the cooperation between COMAC and China Express was a concrete manifestation of taking advantage of the huge civil aviation market in China and driving the application and development of independent innovation products. He hoped that both sides could continually improve the economic efficiency of the China-made commercial aircraft through continuous communication, and form the unique advantages and competitiveness of the China-made aircraft in the future. MIIT would further improve the industrial policies to create a better development environment for the China-made commercial aircraft in the future.

Mr. He Dongfeng expressed that today, COMAC had ushered in the first private enterprise user, and ARJ21 aircraft had won the largest order so far. This was a key milestone in the market introduction of ARJ21 aircraft, indicating that ARJ21 aircraft had gained more recognition from customers after more than four years of market-oriented operation, and also indicating that a key step was made in the large-scale and industrialized development of the China-made commercial aircraft.

Mr. He Dongfeng emphasized that this was a take-off of dream; it was our common expectation for ARJ21 aircraft to join in the fleet of China Express which had focused on regional aviation operation, and it was our common dream to work hard for the development of regional aviation in China. This was a take-off of trust; COMAC was especially grateful to China Express for its firm choice and support on the China-made aircraft; this trust was not only the trust between companies, but also the trust between industries, and even the trust in the Trunk Liner Dream that carried the will of the state, the dream of the Chinese nation and the expectation of the Chinese people. This was also a soaring hand in hand; COMAC would work with China Express to face difficulties and challenges together, make every effort to ensure the safe and economic operation of the aircraft, actively explore the business mode for the development of regional aviation in China, and jointly open a new chapter for the development of regional aviation in China.

Mr. Hu Xiaojun expressed that with the gradual unfolding of the national strategy taking the path of "dual circulation" in which domestic economic cycle plays a leading role while international economic cycle remains its extension and supplement, aviation demand among small- and medium-sized cities in our country had begun to emerge, and the development of regional aviation in China had ushered in a new development opportunity. China Express' order for one hundred China-made commercial aircraft was not only its confidence in the fundamentals of the regional aviation market in China, but also its confidence in ARJ21 aircraft. China Express was a leader in the business mode for regional aviation in China, had successful operation experience in multi-model and multi-category regional aviation market, and had high-efficiency operational and practical experience. The strategic cooperation between China Express and COMAC at this time would further expand the route network of ARJ21 aircraft, and more people would have the opportunity to enjoy equal aviation service.

Mr. Sun Yiqing expressed that SPDB Financial Leasing had always been committed to providing financial leasing services for the entire industrial chain of the China-made aircraft, and would continue to strengthen cooperation with all sides, fully support the sale of the China-made commercial aircraft with high-quality financial leasing products and services, support outstanding private airlines to become bigger and stronger, and make due contributions to the development of civil aviation industry in China.

At the beginning of this month, China Express and COMAC officially have signed a purchase contract for 100 aircrafts, of which 50 are ARJ21 series aircraft, and the other 50 can be ARJ21 series aircraft or C919 series aircraft, which will be determined by subsequent negotiations between both sides. This signing and delivery means that ARJ21 aircraft has gained more recognition from customers after more than four years of market-oriented operation.

China Express is an active explorer and main practitioner in the business mode for regional aviation in China. Since its establishment in 2006, China Express has always clearly adhered to the strategic positioning of regional aviation, and has been committed to the exploration and development of the regional aviation market in China. After more than ten years of operation, it has established operating bases in Guiyang, Chongqing, Dalian, Hohhot, Xi'an and other cities as well as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and operated 165 routes, of which regional routes account for more than 95%. After joining in, ARJ21 aircraft will further supplement the regional aircraft transport capacity of China Express and improve the overall route network layout; and the mature regional route operation experience of China Express will also promote ARJ21 aircraft to set up a brand and create benefits.

Since 2019, China Express and COMAC have reached a number of cooperation consensuses in areas such as aircraft introduction and maintenance support. In the future, both sides will adhere to complementary advantages and resource sharing, continually cooperate in the aspects such as aircraft design optimization, aviation science popularization and talent cultivation, drive the circulation of resources by building a more accessible regional aviation network, actively integrate into the new development pattern of "dual circulation" in which domestic economic cycle plays a leading role while international economic cycle remains its extension and supplement, inject new vitality to the social economy, continually meet the growing travel demand of the public in our country, and promote the realization of people's yearning for a better life.