CDB Aviation and Sichuan Airlines recently held a ceremony wherein a second Airbus A330-300 Passenger to Freighter (A330 P2F) was inducted into the fleet of Sichuan Airlines.
“We are thrilled to be joining our partners at Sichuan Airlines in celebrating this significant 200th aircraft milestone in the airline’s impressive regional and international growth story,” commented Jie Chen, CDB Aviation’s Chief Executive Officer. “CDB Aviation congratulates the Sichuan Airlines team on achieving their leading position among airlines in Western China and its growing role as an international airline in both the passenger and cargo markets.”
“We are very happy to strengthen on our relationship with CDB Aviation and appreciate Jie Chen and his team for their continued hard work in bringing the second A330 P2F aircraft to Sichuan Airlines,” said Zuyi Shi, Chairman of Sichuan Airlines. “The aircraft is a superb addition to our cargo fleet, providing us with more widebody freighter capacity and enhancing our operational capabilities to meet the rapidly expanded market demand. This will further ensure our airlines’ sustainable growth in the long term.”
“CDB Aviation values our strong and long-standing relationship with Sichuan Airlines, and we are grateful for the confidence the airline has placed in our international leasing platform. We look forward to supporting Sichuan Airlines’ future growth,” added Chen.
Sichuan Airlines is headquartered at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, Sichuan in China. The airline began operations in 1988 and since then has been keeping the record of safe operation for 36 years. In August 2002, it was reorganised, and the Sichuan Airlines Group became the major shareholder (40%). The other major shareholders include China Southern Airlines, Shandong Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. The first long-haul overseas route was launched in June 2012, with flights from its Chengdu hub to Vancouver, Canada. It now operates the largest Airbus fleet of 200 aircraft in China and flies more than 500 domestic and overseas routes that cover Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and Africa.
CDB Aviation is a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (CDB Leasing) a 39-year-old Chinese leasing company that is backed mainly by the China Development Bank. CDB Aviation is rated Investment Grade by Moody’s (A2), S&P Global (A), and Fitch (A+). China Development Bank is under the direct jurisdiction of the State Council of China and is the world’s largest development finance institution. It is also the largest Chinese bank for foreign investment and financing cooperation, long-term lending and bond issuance, enjoying Chinese sovereign credit rating.
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