China Eastern Airlines is a step closer to launching its regional carrier Joy Air, which it is jointly setting up with China’s biggest aerospace company, China Aviation Industry Corp (AVIC).
The Civil Aviation Administration of China has completed an initial review of the Xi’an-based Joy Air and plans to issue operational approval by June 15, after seeking public opinion. That is the origial logo shown in the illustration, but it is possible something different may be used.
The new carrier, with a registered capital of RMB1 billion (US$146 million), is 95% owned by AVIC, with 5% held by China Eastern, the country’s third-largest carrier.
Lin Zuomin, general manager of AVIC, said the regional carrier will begin selling tickets and operate its first flight this month.
The carrier will initially use about 10 domestically made aircraft, including Modern Ark 60s and MA 600s, flying routes shorter than 600 kilometers. There are plans to expand the size of the fleet to 100 aircraft within eight years, and introduce ARJ21 jets.
China Trade Information reports Joy Air is part of China Eastern’s plans to develop Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province, as a regional air hub together with Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province.
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