Page 46 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2017 Online Magazine

SPECIAL REPORT

Upward Trajectory

Strong growth has been a characteristic of China’s civil aviation maintenance industry
By Tianyao (Michelle) Xiao

OVER THE LAST dECAdE, CHINA HAS percent) and Airbus airplanes account for of the fleet are aged less than 10 years,15.59
emerged as a massive Maintenance, Repair 1231 aircraft (46.24 percent). Other aircrafts percent are aged between 10 to 20 years
and Overhaul (MRO) hub, primarily due to types such from Bombardier, Embraer, and only 2.70 of the fleet consists of aircraft
the extraordinary growth of its civil aviation and Chinese types such as the MA60 and more than 20 years old. As per available
industry. By the end of 2015, there were a ARJ21 accounted for only 5.71 percent of information, there were only 15 aircraft
total of 45 airlines operating under CCAR- the domestic air transport fleets. The newly aged more than 25 years in 2015. The large
121, with a total of 2, 662 registered large added aircrafts in recent years are of more in-service aircraft fleet has had its greatest
transport aircrafts in use; 34 airlines are advanced newer jetliner types and the older impact with regards to aero-engine MRO in
operating under CCAR-135, with a total of 178 aircraft models exiting the market has China. At the end of 2015, there are a total of
registered aircrafts in use and 281 airlines already exceeded that of those entering 5901 in-service engines (including operating
operating under CCAR-91, with a total of the market; the total number of aircrafts is and backup state) used by CCAR-121 airlines,
2235 registered aircrafts. This makes a total declining. five main engines of which include CFM56
of 360 airlines and a grand total of 5075 The average fleet age of commercial series, V2500 series, RB211 series, CF34
airplanes. 94 percent of the in-service fleet airplanes in airline service across China at the series and PW4000 series, totaled 5500
consists of 1249 Boeing airplanes (48.05 end of 2015 stood at 6.1 years. 81.71 percent units and accounted for 93.20 percent of the

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