Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE
SICHUAN AIRLINES IS expected to take delivery of its first Airbus Industrie A320 by the end of July, following recent certification of the aircraft by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
The airline still requires final approval from China's State Planning Commission to operate the aircraft, but this is understood to be a formality and "...is expected imminently", says a company official. Sichuan will be the first airline in China to operate the 150-seat twinjet. A further two International Aero Engines V2500-powered aircraft are due to enter service before the end of the year.
International Lease Finance signed a deal in March with China Aircraft Supplies to lease three A320s to Sichuan. The CAAC, however, had put the agreement on hold until it was satisfied that the Chengdu-based carrier was ready to operate the fly-by-wire aircraft (Flight International, 3-9 May).
The A320 is needed as a replacement for Sichuan's fleet of six Tupolev Tu-154Ms. The aircraft will initially be used on the domestic airline's trunk route between Chengdu and Beijing.
Source: Flight International
