China’s Air Force to run airline

Press, 17 June 1986, Page 23

China’s Air Force to run airline

NZPA-Reuter Peking China’s Air Force will launch its own airline to help ease a shortage of seats on tourist routes, with the military providing planes, crews, in-flight meals and cheaper tickets, the “China Daily” has reported. It said the Air Force would hand over as many aircraft and airfields as possible to the as yet unnamed airline in return for 75 per cent of the profits. It will fly from a military airfield to the south of Peking and serve destinations round the country. The new airline’s fleet will consist initially of Soviet-built aircraft as well as British-made Tridents and turbo-prop Viscounts. More up-to-date aircraft will be introduced later. In cbntrast to China’s main airline, C.A.A.C., the new Air Force enterprise will offer discount prices during off-seasons to help boost business, the newspaper reported. Some military aircraft have been flying civilian routes in China since 1984. The number of passengers carried by C.A.A.C. on domestic routes reached 7.5 million last year, double the number for 1980.