Bradley Perrett covered China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. He is a Mandarin-speaking Australian.
Before joining Aviation Week in 2006 he was a macroeconomics, politics and aerospace journalist with Reuters. Perrett holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Macquarie University, Sydney. He left Aviation Week in 2020.
The Bank of Communications has joined the line-up of Chinese state companies that are signing contracts for Comac C919 airliners, announcing an “order” for 30 of the 158-seat aircraft. The deal was signed by the bank’s leasing arm and follows contracts announced last month covering 20 C919s for Sichuan Airlines and 45 for the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. Comac now has contracts covering the supply of 195 C919s.
Hong Kong Airlines and subsidiary Hong Kong Express in the next four years will receive almost three times as many aircraft as they now operate, including 21 of 30 Airbus A320s ordered in 2007 but not yet delivered. The remaining new aircraft will be 30 widebodies. The HNA Group company says that next year it will receive 14 aircraft: six Airbus A330s and eight A320s. In 2013, a further 18 aircraft will arrive: eight A330s, eight A320s and two A380s.
HNA Group carrier Hong Kong Airlines will launch daily all-business services to London Gatwick in March, using three Airbus A330-200s fitted with only 116 seats each. The main cabin will feature 82 business-class seats, arranged six abreast. Forward there will be 34 seats fitted four abreast in “suites,” although a seating diagram does not make clear how the they will be privately enclosed. The airline says it is aiming for the ambience of a private jet. Hong Kong Airlines has been flying since 2006.
