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☆ China is getting a head start on the flying car industry: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China is pulling ahead in the flying car industry. AdvertisementChina is leading the pack as the flying car industry tries to take off. Kellen Xie, the vice president of Chinese eVTOL company AutoFlight Group, told the Financial Times that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has been "quite supportive" of the growing industry. Related storiesXie told FT that CAAC regulators "work longer hours" and "are determined to actually speed up the process of bringing this new technology into reality." A month later, California-based startup Aska became the second eVTOL company to earn FAA certification, but Aska's prototype is more like an aircraft than a car.

Persons: AutoFlight, —, Kellen Xie, Xie Organizations: Service, AutoFlight, Financial Times, Civil Aviation Administration of China, Federal Aviation Administration, Alef Aeronautics, FAA Locations: China, Europe, California

☆ Inside the world of flying cars, or eVTOLs, which are moving closer to reality
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Source: Alef AeronauticsWhat if flying around in an electric vehicle is a key part of the way you travel in the future? EVTOLs, or electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, popularly known as flying cars or air taxis, are being developed by firms in the U.S. to Europe and Asia. Four of the most common eVTOLsAn eVTOL aircraft can take off and land vertically. From the technologies they use to take off and land to the fact they're electric, eVTOLs are trying to distinguish themselves from helicopters. While some wealthy individuals may own their electric aircraft, they will more likely be operated in fleets by an operator, as is the case with airlines.

Persons: Lilium, Jim Dukhovny, Tim Draper, EHang Organizations: Aeronautics, JPMorgan, CNBC Tech, Aviation, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, Civil Aviation Administration of China, eVTOLs, Alef Aeronautics Alef Aeronautics, Alef Aeronautics, SpaceX, Theranos Locations: U.S, Europe, Asia, —, eVTOLs, United States, China, Munich, Germany, Spain

☆ Take a ride inside Ehang's fully autonomous, two-seater air taxi
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | Cristy Garratt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

About an hour's drive from the company's headquarters in Guangzhou, China, sits a test site for Ehang's autonomous aerial vehicles. Perched on the tarmac during CNBC's visit was the company's fully autonomous, two-seater air taxi. Its scheduling system runs on the server, so its route is automatically loaded, and then it carries out a completely automated route flight." Because of this other aircraft, we also need to build a vertical take-off and landing flight site between cities," Wang said. Take a tour of the EH216 and watch its test flight by clicking the video above.

Persons: Dong Wang, Ehang, AAV, Wang Organizations: CNBC Tech, Civil Aviation Administration, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: Guangzhou, China, United States

☆ Flying cars — or eVTOLs — are becoming reality. Would you ride in one?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +36 min

They are flying cars, they're flying cars,Tom Chitty: These vehicles aren't necessarily actually cars with wheels, either, because I know that you've done you've got a program coming up soon about eVTOL. And the idea is there's going to be a fleet of these run by an operator. You've alluded to this feature program we've got coming out looking at the future of these, these flying cars, basically in these eVTOLs. And also, we can't finish this episode about flying cars and eVTOLs without talking about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the OG. Yeah, no, that's, that's very surprising.

Persons: Tom Chitty, Arjun Kharpal, who's, I've, we've, We've, I'm, they'd, I'd, there's, Arjun, that's, we're, you've, there'll, they're, You've, Kharpal, it's, you'll, They've, Morgan Stanley, someone's, What's, they've, They're, Big Ben, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Bang Bang, Tom, We'll Organizations: JPMorgan, CNBC, Mar, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Joby, Infrastructure, Boeing, Heathrow Airport, Civil Aviation Administration, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Autonomy, London, Transport Locations: Spain, China, Europe, Munich, Germany, beyondthevalley@cnbc.com, London, Chinese, Guangzhou, Birmingham, U.S, Manchester, it's, eVTOLs, Battersea, Heathrow

☆ A deadly Boeing 737 crash in China is still shrouded in mystery as the government says it found nothing abnormal before the plane nose-dived
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewChinese authorities say they've yet to identify the cause of a Boeing 737 crash that killed 132 people two years ago, reporting that investigators found nothing abnormal occurring before the fatal incident. The report, published Wednesday by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, covers the government probe into the crash of flight MU5735, which was operated by China Eastern Airlines. AdvertisementBloomberg reported shortly after the crash, citing flight tracker data, that the plane hit the ground while traveling near the speed of sound. A rescuer ties a safety rope to a tree at the plane crash site in Tengxian County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 26, 2022. When asked to comment on the report, a Boeing spokesperson referred BI to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Persons: —, MU5735, Lu Boan Organizations: Service, Boeing, Civil Aviation Administration, China Eastern Airlines, Business, Staff, Street, Bloomberg, Getty Images, Civil Aviation Administration of China Locations: China, Guangxi Zhuang, Teng County, Tengxian County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Xinhua, Kunming, Guangzhou, Weibo

☆ US allows China to boost passenger flights to 50 per week as summer travel season nears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

By February of that year, most American airlines had suspended flights to China due to fears about the coronavirus. In the next month, the CAAC slashed international flights to China, citing the need to curb imported Covid-19 cases. Despite the two sides amending their rules after negotiations, the number of flights between the United States and China still fell significantly during the pandemic. We look forward to once again welcoming Chinese group travel to the United States,” she said in a statement issued at the time. In June, Reuters reported that newly approved flights by Chinese airlines were indeed avoiding Russian airspace on their way to the United States.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, David McNew, Trump, Gina Raimondo, ”, Biden Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, US Department of Transportation, ” Citi, Civil Aviation Administration of China, Air China, LAX Tom, US, Reuters Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hong Kong CNN — Washington, United States, Los Angeles , California, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ China will showcase its domestic jetliner at the Singapore Airshow. Here's what else to expect
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A model of Comac's C919 aircraft at the Singapore Airshow on Feb. 6, 2018. SINGAPORE — China is gearing up to showcase its narrow-body passenger jet to a global audience for the first time at the Singapore Airshow. Touted as a competitor to Boeing's 737 and the Airbus 320, the Comac C919 is quickly turning out to be one of the most anticipated features at this year's event. "Flying for the first time at the Singapore Airshow, is the C919, a narrow-body airliner developed by Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac," Singapore Airshow organizer and manager Experia Events said in a statement. The Singapore Airshow is a fantastic opportunity for Comac particularly given the current situation with Boeing," Brendan Sobie of Sobie Aviation told CNBC.

Persons: Experia, Lockheed Martin, Thales, Brendan Sobie, Sobie Organizations: Singapore, Singapore Airshow, Airbus, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Civil Aviation Administration, China, Aerospace, Boeing, Lockheed, Dassault, SAAB, Leonardo, Sobie Aviation, CNBC Locations: SINGAPORE — China, Singapore, China

☆ Taipei protests against Beijing’s ‘unilateral’ change of flight path closer to sensitive median line
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —Taiwan has protested against China’s “unilateral” adjustment of civil aviation flight routes that could result in civilian aircraft flying closer to the sensitive Taiwan Strait median line, adding pressure on Taipei in its aviation safety and aerial defense. This means all southbound flights will no longer need to veer off six nautical miles to the west from the designated route – as agreed by Beijing and Taipei in 2015 – and can now fly on the original path, bringing the aircraft closer to the median line and the Taipei Flight Information Region. In 2015, China unilaterally declared the operation of M503 route, prompting protests from Taipei. After negotiations with Taipei, Beijing agreed at the time to move the route six nautical miles to the west of its original path. The median line dividing China and Taiwan has been a tacit understanding between both sides not bound by any legal pact.

Persons: China’s, ” Organizations: Taiwan CNN, China’s Civil Aviation Administration, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration, Mainland Affairs Council, MAC, Communist Party Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Beijing, Shanghai, China, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Fujian province, Matsu, Taiwan Strait

☆ China takes delivery of Boeing 737 Max in show of support for troubled plane maker
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Xiaofei Xu | Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong/New York CNN —Boeing has delivered its first 737 Max to a Chinese airline for the first time in nearly five years, according to flight data, in a rare spot of good news for the embattled company. According to flight tracking website Flightradar 24, China Southern Airlines flight CZ5073 departed from Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday for China via Honolulu. The use of the airline’s flight number, instead of a Boeing one, suggests the ownership of the plane has already been transferred. The plane, a 737 Max 8 according to flight data, was built in September 2019 and has been parked in Boeing’s Seattle factory since then, according to flight tracking sites Flightradar 24 and Aviation Flights. In December, the trade publication the Air Current said Boeing had won a key clearance from China’s aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), allowing Boeing to prepare Max aircraft for delivery, Reuters reported.

Persons: Max, CZ5073, haven’t Organizations: New York CNN, Boeing, Max, China Southern Airlines, Boeing Field, Aviation, US Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, CNN, Current, Civil Aviation Administration of China, Reuters Locations: Hong Kong, New York, Seattle , Washington, China, Honolulu, Boeing’s Seattle, Indonesia, Ethiopia

☆ Flights in China to increase 34% above pre-pandemic levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 28 (Reuters) - China's aviation regulator said it will increase domestic flights to 34% above pre-pandemic levels, a move that will further boost the recovery of Chinese airlines. There will be 96,651 domestic flights a week, or 34% higher than the same period four years ago, with 7,202 new weekly flights brought on by the opening of 516 new domestic routes. The increase in domestic flights focuses on connections between regional and hub airports like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, the regulator said. In the next five months there will be 16,680 weekly flights, with passenger flights expected to reach 71% of the total four years ago. Flights to and from 22 countries, including Britain and Italy, have neared or overtaken pre-pandemic levels, the regulator said.

Persons: Edgar Su, Eduardo Baptista, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Civil Aviation Administration, CAAC, Thomson Locations: Air China, Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Britain, Italy, United States

☆ China gives Ehang the first industry approval for fully autonomous, passenger-carrying air taxis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An EHang all-electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) two-passenger multicopter aircraft, performs an unmanned display flight at a Korean government event at Yeouido island in Seoul on November 11, 2020. BEIJING — Self-driving air taxis are one step closer to reality in China. Guangzhou-based Ehang on Friday said it received an airworthiness "type certificate" from the Civil Aviation Administration of China for its fully autonomous drone, the EH216-S AAV, that carries two human passengers. The regulator is the equivalent of the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S.U.S.-listed Ehang claims it's the first in the world to get such a certificate, which allows it to fly passenger-carrying autonomous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in China. Ehang shares have nearly doubled in price this year, before trading was temporarily halted Monday "in anticipation of an upcoming announcement concerning a very significant development regarding its business operations."

Persons: it's, Huazhi Hu, Ehang Organizations: BEIJING —, Civil Aviation Administration, China, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S ., CNBC Locations: Seoul, BEIJING, China, Guangzhou, U.S . U.S, U.S, Europe, Southeast Asia

☆ Mid-Autumn Festival holidays: Millions of Chinese tourists are going on holiday again -- many headed for Thailand
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kathleen Magramo Kocha Olarn Berry Wang Carina Cheng | Kathleen Magramo | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Only 2.2 million Chinese travelers arrived between January and September 10 this year, according to data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin greeted travelers on the first day of the government's visa-free scheme for Chinese tourists. “Competition is really intensifying in the region to attract Chinese tourists amongst all countries, and you have to make it as easy as possible,” said Bowerman. Chinese tourists pray in front of Thai dancers at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand on September 22, 2023. Rumors, film complicate efforts to lure back touristsPrior to the announcement of the visa-free policy this month, Chinese tourists had been slow to return to Thailand.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, It’s, ” Sretta, “, Chiang, Wang Wenbin, Peerapon Boonyakiat, pare, Gary Bowerman, ”, Bowerman, Huang, “ I’ve, coronavirus, Trip.com, Jin Junhao, Joanna Lu, Anusak, Wolfgang Georg Arlt, “ There’s, Thailand ”, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn Organizations: CNN, China’s, Tourism Authority of, Thai, Civil Aviation Administration, China Railway, Asia, Tourism Research Institute, Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Thai Travel Agents Association Locations: China, Shanghai, Bangkok’s, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, ”, Beijing, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Asia, Sichuan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, United Kingdom, Erawan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Weibo

BEIJING/SEOUL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - An Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang landed in Beijing early on Tuesday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, as North Korea cracks open its border to some passenger travel. Cargo train and ship traffic has slowly increased over the past year, but North Korea has only just begun to allow some international passenger travel. Since the end of 2019, U.N. Security Council resolutions have required that all countries deport North Korean workers. The current Chinese ambassador to North Korea, Wang Yajun, had to wait 15 months after being named for the job before he could enter the country this March to take up his role. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday that Beijing had approved North Korea's state carrier Air Koryo resuming flights to China.

Persons: lockdowns, Koryo, Simon Cockerell, Kim Jong, Wang Yajun, Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh, Laurie Chen, Tian, Josh Smith, Jacqueline Wong, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: North, Association of Asian Studies, Air Koryo, Civil Aviation Administration, China, Air China, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, SEOUL, Pyongyang, Beijing, North Korea, China, Russian, Kazakhstan, Vladivostok, Russia, U.N, Korea's, Koryo, Seoul

☆ An airline founder is facing a fine after he let an influencer take a selfie in the cockpit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An airline founder faces a fine after allowing an influencer into the cockpit. Influencer Sam Chui posted a selfie with Starlux Airlines founder Chang Kuo-wei on Instagram. The founder of a Taiwanese airline is facing a $2,000 fine after letting an influencer take a selfie in the cockpit, according to various reports including the Independent and local news outlets Liberty Times Net and Taiwan News. Kuo-wei invited internet influencer Sam Chui into the cockpit for a photo without first getting approval from the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA). Kuo-wei recently flew to Tokyo Narita Airport in Japan to personally apologize to passengers the morning after a Starlux flight was canceled.

Boeing has more than 130 completed MAX jets in inventory for Chinese customers worth more than $15 billion at list prices, although airlines typically receive substantial discounts. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on April 14 released the second revision of its 737 evaluation report which incorporates updates to 737 MAX training and technical information. Chinese airlines begun returning the MAX to service in January led by China Southern (600029.SS) and as of April, all Chinese MAX operators have resumed flight operations, with 45 of 95 MAX jets now back in service, Calhoun said. China Eastern (600115.SS) and China Southern said in March they would resume taking delivery of MAX jets this year, without providing further details. The CAAC report is a reason for "incremental" optimism on MAX momentum in China, Myles Walton of Wolfe Research wrote in to a note to investors.

[1/3] An applicant is measured for height during a recruiting session for cabin crew jobs at Hainan Airlines in Beijing, China, March 30, 2023. Carriers including Xiamen Airlines, China Southern Airlines (600029.SS) and Spring Airlines (601021.SS) are now on a hiring spree as domestic travel recovers and they plan to resume flights to popular international destinations. China Southern, which plans to hire 3,000 cabin crew this year, said it already had more than seven times as many applicants by the end of December. Before the pandemic, around 10% of cabin crew applications were typically successful, industry experts said. As the peak summer season approaches, Chinese airlines are adding international capacity.

☆ China still seeking answers a year after plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING/WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - China's aviation regulator said Monday investigators were still looking into the cause of the crash of China Eastern Airlines' Flight MU5735, almost a year after the plane came down, killing all 132 people on board. On the eve of the anniversary, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said experts had already inspected more than 100 pieces of wreckage. NTSB investigators also traveled to China. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said last week the agency has had a "really good working relationship with China" during the investigation. A final report into the causes of the crash could take two years or more to compile, Chinese officials said last year.

☆ Beijing still seeking answers a year after China Eastern plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While the MU5735 tragedy like all aircraft disasters was complex, the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the aircraft were recovered days after the crash, he added. A final report into the causes of the crash could take two years or more to compile, Chinese officials said last year. Boeing declined to comment and China Eastern did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were sent to a U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) laboratory in Washington, a move Beijing had supported despite rising political tensions between the two countries. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said last week the agency has had a "really good working relationship with China" during the investigation.

Airfares from China are now 160% higher than before the pandemic, data from travel firm ForwardKeys shows, due to limited supply. Since Jan. 4, Air China (601111.SS), Hainan Airlines (600221.SS) and China Southern Airlines (600029.SS) have filed schedules with the U.S. Department of Transportation proposing to increase flights to as much as daily on some routes. Foreign carriers seeking to add flights to China require approvals from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, which did not respond to a request for comment. However, other flights were paused as it assessed market demand and government regulations. Many Western airlines parked large planes when international traffic plunged and production of new twin-aisle jets has been limited.

☆ Air travel recovers in China amid COVID infection worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The industry needs to "fully understand the special nature, and complexity of the Spring Festival migration in 2023", Song said in a statement on Friday. It expects a Spring Festival boom in tourism. Cinema box office receipts are on track to generate revenue of as much as 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) during the Spring Festival period, a brokerage has forecast. According to Guosen Securities, box office revenues in 2022 totalled less than 30 billion yuan, down 36% from a year earlier. ($1=6.7010 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Tony Munroe and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's planning to ramp up passenger flights to 2019 levels ahead of the Chinese New Year holidays, despite surging COVID-19 cases
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China plans to restore passenger flight volumes to 88% of the 2019 daily average by end-January, per Caixin. But the number of cases and deaths have reportedly been surging — even though China reported 1,918 new local cases and two deaths on Sunday. Under the plan, daily passenger flights are expected to rise to 70% of the 2019 daily average by January 6, 2023, according to Caixin. The country reported 1,918 new local COVID-19 cases on Sunday, down from 2,028 on Saturday, according to China's National Health Commission. Sunday's reported cases was down sharply from 8,838 cases a week ago — but this number included asymptomatic cases, which China has since stopped counting.

☆ China Meets With Boeing, Raising Hopes for 737 MAX Flight Resumption
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Rachel Liang | Cao Li | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Boeing 737 MAX jets operated by China Southern Airlines were grounded in 2019 after two fatal crashes. China’s air safety regulators have met with Boeing to discuss the company’s 737 MAX, a move that the regulator’s official media outlet said signaled the jetliner could soon return to Chinese skies after more than three years. The Civil Aviation Administration of China held an evaluation meeting last week with Boeing’s U.S. and China teams to review the training protocols for pilots, the CAAC News, a news outlet run by the regulator, said Tuesday.

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