GE Capital Aviation Services Delivers Leased Airbus A320 to Chengdu Airlines of China
Shanghai, GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing subsidiary of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), announced delivery of a leased Airbus A320 to Chengdu Airlines to expand the airline’s fleet.
GECAS was one of the first lessors to work with the airline, which started operations as United Eagle Airlines in 2005. Today, GECAS leases nine aircraft to the carrier, which operates domestic passenger service from its base in the capital of the Sichuan Province.
About Chengdu Airlines
Founded
| 2004 (as United Eagle Airlines - UEAir)
|
Commenced operations
| July 2005 with an Airbus A320-200
|
Main hub
| Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
|
Destination
| 50 domestic routes
|
Official website
| www.chengduair.cc (in Chinese)
|
Business model
| Low Cost Carrier |
United Eagle was launched as the first privately-owned carriers in China, in a market monopolized by state-owned airlines. The original owner was Guangzhou IT company, E & Net Communications, later Shanghai's Juneyao Group joined as shareholder to inject additional capital.
In March 2009, Sichuan Airlines invested 200 million RMB (30 million USD) in United Eagle Airlines, increasing their stake to 76% from 20%. But in late 2009, Sichuan Airlines Group reduced its stake in United Eagle by selling shares to Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) and Chengdu Communications Investment Group.
On 23rd of January 2010, United Eagle Airlines brand name was changed to Chengdu Airlines, reported at the request Chengdu municipal government with the objective to promote Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China.
Current Fleet of Chengdu Airlines
| Airbus A319-100 | 2
(+ 1 in storage) | 0 | 12 | 108 | 120
|
| Airbus A320-200 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 138 | 150 |
| Comac ARJ21 | 0 | 30 | to be advised | | |
| Total | 9 | 30 | |