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.
China’s Changjiang Leasing is negotiating with Bombardier over a possible order for CSeries airliners, but is reluctant to commit to the order before it can be certain of the program schedule. After the experience of the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 programs, it is difficult to place great trust in a manufacturer’s promised delivery dates, says Ren Weidong, executive VP of the Hainan Airlines Group lessor.
Air China will greatly expand its business aircraft operation at Beijing with support from the city government, a strong sign of official confidence in the prospects for Chinese general aviation. The expanded operation will compete with a similar set-up owned by Hainan Airlines. Separately, the northeastern city of Dalian is negotiating with Air China for the creation of an airline at its local airport, but in that case the new company will offer normal scheduled services, not business aircraft flights.
The Japanese military expects to begin work on a utility helicopter next year after a competition that may determine whether Fuji Heavy Industries can sustain and develop its rotorcraft business.
