FedEx Launches First Direct Boeing Cargo Service from Shanghai to United States

SHANGHAI, Jan. 15 – Shipping giant FedEx will launch its first Boeing 777 cargo service from Shanghai to its hub in Memphis, Tennessee.

The new service will give clients in Shanghai, Suzhou and Kunshan a two-hour improvement in cut-off times easing international shipping reports The Associated Press. Read the rest of this entry »



China Industry: Jan. 5

Jan. 5 – This is a regular series of relevant industry news from around China.

Air transport
Taiwan-based China Airlines intends to launch a flight from Taipei to Miyazaki, Japan in 2010. The air carrier will fly on this route two times a week on Thursdays and Sundays. With the new route, China Airlines is boosting the number of its weekly flights to Japan to 81. The company will operate flights to eight destinations in Japan: Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Miyazaki, and Ryukyu. Read the rest of this entry »



China Industry: Dec. 16

Dec. 16 – This is a regular series of relevant industry news from around China.

Air Transport

China Eastern Airlines said it would conclude its merger with Shanghai Airlines Co. by the end of the year. China Eastern, the third-largest airline in the country said in July it would purchase smaller competitor Shanghai Airlines through a RMB9 billion equity exchange, getting hold of half of Shanghai’s market. Read the rest of this entry »



Clarification on Foreign Exchange Payments for Reinvestment

Dec. 15 – The State Administration of Tax and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange have jointly issued a circular which provides additional clarification on tax certificate requirements for service industry items and transactions.

The circular expands the list of items that do not require tax certificates, including payments made by contractors for overseas engineering/construction projects, payments to overseas freight forwarders for international air or land transportation, accommodation and traveling expenses paid by domestic travel agencies on behalf of outbound Read the rest of this entry »



Fuel Surcharges Hike for International Flights Coming from Mainland, Hong Kong

SHANGHAI, Dec. 2 – Airlines have hiked fuel surcharges by as high as 50 percent for international flights coming from the mainland and Hong Kong.

According to Global Times, Air China increased charges from RMB200 yuan to RMB300 on flights to Singapore and Thailand. Cathay Pacific will implement a fuel add-on for flights less than five hours from HK$71 to HK$75 while flights taking more than five hours will increase from HK$328 to HK$348. Read the rest of this entry »



Artificially Induced Snowfall in Beijing Disrupts Traffic, Flights

Photo by kudumomo/FlckerBEIJING, Nov. 11 – Unusually early snowfall in Beijing that worsened traffic and grounded flights out of the city’s international airport yesterday was the second snowfall in eight days to be artificially induced says China Daily.

The first snowfall occurred on October 31 when authorities shot 186 doses of silver iodide into the sky resulting in more than 16 million tons of snow and flights out of Beijing Capital International Airport to be delayed.  Yesterday, the airport was shutdown for four hours because of the snowstorms while airlines were forced to cancel hundreds of flights. Authorities dispensed 6,000 tons of thawing agent to de-ice the roads and relieve traffic. Read the rest of this entry »



Air China, Cathay Pacific to Set Up Largest Cargo JV in Shanghai

Photo by Thomas.fanghaenel/Creative Commons LicenseSHANGHAI, Oct. 29 – Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways and Air China have agreed to partner to form the country’s biggest cargo joint venture in Shanghai in anticipation of rising demand.

“The venture is expected to be launched ahead of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo but still requires regulatory approval,” Kong Dong, chairman of Beijing-based Air China, told Shanghai Daily yesterday. “We are confident that the JV will benefit from Shanghai’s growing cargo demand. The city handled 3 million tons of cargo last year, exceeding Hong Kong to become the biggest cargo market in China.” Read the rest of this entry »



Shanghai, Hong Kong Airport Operators Partner to Manage Hongqiao Airport

Photo by Honza Soukup/FlckerOct. 14 – The operators of the main international airports in Shanghai and Hong Kong have signed a joint venture to manage the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and make it highly competitive reports China Daily.

Currently, the Hongqiao airport is mostly for domestic flights handling 22.9 million passengers and 415,700 tons of cargo last year. The Shanghai Airport will pay RMB51 million for a 51 percent majority stake in the Shanghai Hong Kong Airport Management Co. while Airport Authority Hong Kong will pay RMB49 million for the remaining stake with the agreement valid from 2010 until 2030. Read the rest of this entry »



China Industry: Sept. 10

Sept. 10 – This is a regular series of relevant industry news from around China.

Solar power
Shi Zhengrong, founder and chief executive of Chinese solar giant Suntech Power backtracked on last week’s statement that his company had cut solar panel prices in the United States below production cost, saying he misunderstood a reporter’s question.

The remarks, quoted by the New York Times, sparked a controversy in the solar market as it appeared the firm was selling at a loss to buoy up its presence on the U.S. market as the industry is dogged by oversupply and sliding prices. Read the rest of this entry »



Beijing Relaxes Private Flight Plan Applications

Photo by flcker user shazari under the creative commons licenseSept. 7 – China has relaxed applications for private flight plans from six days to just three hours, a move that will likely lead to a boom in the private jet travel business.

As reported in the South China Morning Post, the decision means it is now possible for a Chinese registered Airbus A318 elite or Gulfstream 200 to file a flight plan with the mainland aviation authorities three to six hours prior to take off as opposed to the three to six day lead time previously required. The three to six day requirement will still apply for foreign aircraft.

Greater China may now be poised to take lead in a market dominated by the Middle East and previously suppressed in the country because of political and military reasons. Airbus is also set to establish an outfitting center in the mainland to allow Chinese customers to choose their preferred cabin decorations. Read the rest of this entry »