Article from BTNews 13 JUNE 2016
Sichuan on expansion trail
A firm order agreement for 15 Airbus A320s worth US$1.37bn has been signed by China’s Sichuan Airlines as the carrier hits the expansion trail.
The deal was announced by the Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Sichuan province, a state-owned body, during a visit to Toulouse by airline officials led by Sichuan Airlines chairman Li Haiying.
The order is made up of seven A320-200 and eight A320neos. Delivery dates have not been announced. The carrier, a subsidiary of China Southern Airlines, operates an all-Airbus fleet including 23 A319-100s, 48 A320-200s and 28 A321-200s and eight A330s. There are five A320s already on order.
Chengdu-based Sichuan operates services within China, and also to Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Dubai, Moscow and Vancouver.
It has also recently applied for rights to serve more long-haul destinations, including Los Angeles and Prague.
Sichuan has asked the US Department of Transportation to fast-track its Los Angeles application so it can enter the trans-Pacific market this year. The application says it would begin service between Chengdu and Los Angles via Hangzhou and another service via Jinan in September.
In all, Sichuan’s network covers 339 routes serving 108 destinations with almost 500 daily flights.
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