Author: Huang Xiaofang
China's three major airlines, including Shenzhen Airlines, a subsidiary of Air China, have ordered a total of 292 A320NEO series passenger aircraft. (Reuters file photo)
China has once again released a signal to accelerate the resumption of air travel. China's three major aviation giants China Southern Airlines, Air China and China Eastern Airlines have successively announced contracts with Airbus to fly the first large-scale passenger aircraft since the epidemic. order; the Chinese Embassy in the United States also announced that it will allow American citizens to enter the country through transit in third countries.
Scholars interviewed analyzed that China is expected to continue to focus on the development of domestic air tourism and may gradually increase regional flights, but will not vigorously promote international flights with long distances in the short term.
China Southern Airlines , Air China and China Eastern Airlines announced on July 1 that they had signed orders with the European manufacturer Airbus. These three companies, including Shenzhen Airlines, a subsidiary of Air China, have ordered a total of 292 A320NEO series passenger aircraft, with a total planned investment of US$37.2 billion (approximately 249.2 billion yuan); these aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in batches from 2023 to 2027.
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at aviation consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, told Bloomberg that China purchased 350 additional civilian aircraft in 2018 when the aviation industry was at its peak. This means that the total order volume of the three companies this time has reached a level close to that of the entire year before the epidemic.
analyst Abolafia believes that China, like other countries in the world, is preparing for the recovery of the aviation industry. (Abolafia’s personal website profile photo)
Abolafia believes that China, like other countries in the world, is preparing for the recovery of the aviation industry.
Since last month, China has frequently released signals to relax inbound tourism. At the end of the month, China's National Health Commission announced that the number of days of centralized quarantine for inbound travelers would be reduced from the original 14 days to seven days, and the subsequent seven days of home health monitoring would be shortened to three days. The Chinese Embassy in the United States also announced on its official website on July 1 that American citizens are allowed to enter the country via transit through a third country.
The Chinese Embassy in the United States previously only allowed American citizens flying directly from the United States to China to apply for a health code . Passengers must have a health code to enter China.
China continues to strictly guard its borders after the outbreak of the coronavirus. Last year, the number of foreigners entering and exiting China fell by 65.9% year-on-year. Global tourism has entered a period of rapid recovery this year, and the international community has repeatedly urged China to relax entry restrictions.
Singapore Management University Assistant Professor of Strategic Management Fan Pingzheng, who studies aviation topics, analyzed in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao that most Chinese airlines have suspended large-scale passenger aircraft purchases in the past two years, but this large-scale purchase of passenger aircraft is not This means that China will focus on promoting international tourism.
According to the Airbus website, the A320NEO series is a short- to medium-range single-lane passenger aircraft, with a range of generally more than 6,000 kilometers.
Analysis: Boeing is rapidly losing the Chinese market
Fan Pingzheng explained that A320NEO is mostly used for domestic routes, and can also be used for short-range international flights, such as flying from Tianjin to Singapore, most of which are from China to Asia. National routes. At present, it seems that China intends to promote the recovery of the aviation industry, but the focus is still on the country, and may also gradually increase regional flight services.
One family is happy and the other is sad. American aircraft manufacturer Boeing Company has been involved in the Sino-US trade war since 2018. After the Chinese aviation giant announced a contract with Boeing’s biggest competitor Airbus, many analysts believe that Boeing is rapidly losing China’s aviation industry. market.
China grounded Boeing 737 Max passenger planes in 2019 after two 737 Max plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people. On March 21 this year, a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 132 people on board crashed in Wuzhou, Guangxi, killing all passengers and crew on board. This incident further cooled China's attitude towards Boeing, and China Southern announced in May that it had removed more than 100 Boeing 737 Max passenger aircraft from the company's fleet plan.
China Southern announced in May that it had eliminated more than 100 Boeing 737 Max aircraft from the company's fleet plans. (Reuters file photo)
According to Reuters, Boeing issued a statement via email on Friday (July 1), expressing its disappointment with the procurement projects of China’s three major aviation companies. The statement pointed out that as the largest U.S. exporter with a 50-year relationship with the Chinese aviation industry, "it is disappointing that geopolitical differences continue to restrict U.S. airlines exports."
Fan Pingzheng pointed out that China generally balances procurement among European and American manufacturers. China Southern Airlines, Air China and China Eastern Airlines have certain official backgrounds. This large-scale procurement case is believed to have certain geopolitical considerations. China may believe that by turning to European manufacturers, it can gain greater negotiation space in its overall interactions with Europe.
However, Fan Pingzheng added that the euro has continued to decline against the renminbi this year, and the U.S. dollar has reached a high level against the renminbi. Therefore, the three major airlines also have more realistic price considerations.
