Bradley Perrett covered China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. He is a Mandarin-speaking Australian.
Before joining Aviation Week in 2006 he was a macroeconomics, politics and aerospace journalist with Reuters. Perrett holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Macquarie University, Sydney. He left Aviation Week in 2020.
New Chinese carrier Qingdao Airlines will begin flying this month after taking delivery of its first aircraft, an Airbus A320. The A320, powered by CFM56 engines, is fitted with eight business and 144 economy seats, says Airbus, announcing the delivery of the aircraft, which Qingdao Airlines is leasing from China Aircraft Leasing Co. of Hong Kong. The carrier ordered A320ceo and 18A320neo aircraft last year, but deliveries will not begin until 2016. It planned at the time to begin services this year with leased aircraft.
The maintenance facility that Gulfstream and HNA Group run at Beijing airport should more than double in capacity over the next two years, says Mark Burns, Gulfstream president for product support. The Beijing operation, with about 40 people now, can work on three to four aircraft at a time, says Burns. Within two years, it should have about 100 people working on eight to 10 at a time.
China’s Minsheng International Jet, which is being built up from Citic General Aviation, aims to become the largest general aviation operator in Asia, partly thanks to its association with sibling Minsheng Financial Leasing. With a focus on aircraft management, Minsheng Jet is planning to set up outside of mainland China, beginning with Hong Kong this year. It also hopes to work with foreign operators to create a virtual global service network.
