News
Chongqing Airlines and Loong Air accept A320neos
September 28th 2018
Chongqing Airlines, one of China’s lesser known carriers, this week took delivery of the first of seven A320neo on lease from Singapore’s BOC Aviation. Read More » The seven A320neo will significantly expand the carrier’s fleet of six A319s and 14 A320ceo.
“We are pleased to welcome Chongqing Airlines as a new airline customer and to support the growth of its fleet as we deliver the first of its new technology A320neo aircraft,” said BOC Aviation CEO and managing director, Robert Martin.
Launched in 2007, Chongqing Airlines is jointly owned by China Southern Airlines (60%) and the Chongqing Municipal Development & Investment Company (40%). The carrier primarily operates domestic flights from Chongqing, but in recent years has expanded to Thailand and Vietnam.
Separately, Hangzhou-based Loong Air this week received another two A320neo from CDB Aviation. They marked the first A320neo to join CDB Aviation's fleet from the lessor’s order book with Airbus. In May, CDB Aviation delivered the first A320neo to Loong Air in a sale and leaseback transaction. That delivery was the first LEAP-1A-equipped A320neo manufactured at Airbus' Final Assembly Line in Tianjin for operation by a Chinese carrier. CDB Aviation said it would deliver the remaining three jets to Loong Air by 2020.
“We are delighted to provide another aircraft to our long-standing partner Loong Air,” said CDB Aviation CCO, Patrick Hannigan. “We look forward to deepening the partnership with our colleagues at Loong Air, and to supporting their goal of expanding their domestic and international networks around Hangzhou with the latest generation aircraft.” Loong Air now has four A320neo and 28 A320ceo.
“We are very glad to cooperate with CDB Aviation,” said Loong Air chairman, Liu Qihong. “After five years of development and growth, Loong Air has become part of the backbone of China's civil aviation industry, with outstanding operational performance and great potential for development. Loong Air will continue to push forward steadily and strike hard to expand its scale. We sincerely look forward to further cooperation and a win-win relationship between our companies.”
