Paul Lewis/Xiamen
CHINA'S XIAMEN Airlines expects official approval by the end of the year to launch international flights and is planning to acquire a further ten passenger aircraft, including widebody jet-powered airliners.
The airline wants to start its first overseas service in 1996, providing it receives approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), says Xiamen chairman He Ping. Its existing Xiamen-Hong Kong route is not officially considered an international service.
According to He, the airline already complies with the CAAC's traffic, financial and safety requirements to operate international routes. Xiamen has been profitable since 1987 and in 1994 recorded a net return of yuan 170 million ($20.4 million).
Xiamen in 1994 carried 2.04 million passengers, 500,000 more than stipulated by the CAAC for international carrier status. He estimates that this will increase to 2.5 million passengers, together with 40,000t of cargo, by the end of 1995.
The company is primarily interested in operating to secondary cities in South-East Asia from Xiamen which are not yet served by the larger regional carriers, such as parent airline China Southern. Destinations would include Cebu, in the Philippines, and the East Malaysian city of Kuching.
Airline plans call for the purchase of ten new aircraft over the next five years, including an unspecified number of Boeing 767-sized widebodies for use on international routes. Xiamen is also looking to acquire Boeing 737-600/700s as replacements for its four early-build 737-200s.
In addition to the -200s, Xiamen operates four 737-500s and four larger 757-200s. It is scheduled to receive a fifth 757 in November and is waiting for CAAC permission to acquire another 737-500 and a secondhand 737-200 freighter.
Source: Flight International
