Wednesday 30 January 2019

CAAC grants Zhengzhou's first cargo airline Zhongzhou Airlines business license

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals



Henan has made significant progress in the local aviation development. The Civil Aviation Central and Southern Bureau of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has approved the business establishment of Zhongzhou Airlines Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Zhongzhou Airlines”), Henan's domestic and international cargo airline headquartered in Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport district, subject to any aviation unit opposition, according to the public notice released on CAAC's web-site on 29 January 2019.


Zhongzhou Airlines is jointly funded by Henan Zhongzhou Tengfei International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd. (“Zhongzhou Tengfei”) leaders Zhanyang and Song Shengli.


Zhongzhou Tengfei is registered in Zhengzhou with a registered capital of 150 million yuan. It mainly engages in international freight forwarding, road general cargo transportation, warehousing services, etc. Zhanyang is  Zhongzhou Airlines director and legal representative while Song Shengli is another director of Zhongzhou Airlines.


The registered capital of Zhongzhou Airlines is RMB 600 million in which Zhongzhou Tengfei has a stake of 40 per cent while Zhanyang and Song Shengli each contribute 30 per cent.


At the same time, the person in charge of disclosure of Zhongzhou Airlines was Xu Jianguo, former party secretary and deputy general manager of the China Southern Airlines Engineering Department. Public information shows that Xu Jianguo was the main person in charge of Zhongyuan Airlines, the first local passenger airline of Henan.


According to the public notice, Zhongzhou Airlines proposes to engage in domestic, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and international air cargo and mail transportation business. The aircraft to be used is B737 aircraft. At present, Zhongzhou Airlines has employed six captains, eight co-pilots, four licensed dispatchers, and reached a transfer intention with three other captains and 11 crew members.


According to industrial and commercial information, Zhongzhou Airlines is formed on 30 June 2016. The company's registered address is in Zhengzhou Airport District and its chairman is Hou Xingfan.


In 2017, Zhongzhou Airlines investors made two changes. In January of that year, the company's investors were changed from Henan Shangqiu Chunlai Education Group and Hou Junyu to Henan Shangqiu Chunlai Education Group led by Song Shengli and Yuan Qianqian. In August, they were changed to the current directors Song Shengli and Zhanyang.


According to industrial and commercial information, Hou Junyu is the legal representative of Henan Chunlai Education Technology Co., Ltd. and the chief executive of China Spring (01969), a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.


On 13 September 2018, Chunlai Education Group is officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange though it operates three institutions including Shangqiu College, Anyang College and Shangqiu College of Applied Science and Technology in Henan only.


Founded in July 2017, Zhongzhou Tengfei's shareholders are Hou Xingfan and Zhanyang. The former has a kinship relationship with Hou Junyu. From the perspective of equity relations and blood relationship, Zhongzhou Airlines has a lot to do with Chunlai Education Group.


With regard to the business license issuance to Zhongzhou Airlines, the act is timely as the special plan for the construction of the Zhengzhou-Luxembourg Air Silk Road (2017~2025), which was released in 2017, has already made it clear that it is necessary to speed up the formation of local cargo airlines and strive for the Cargolux Luxembourg Cargo Airlines joint venture cargo airline to be based in Zhengzhou. The project was put into operation at the end of 2018, and a local airline will be granted Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in order to be the partner of Cargolux in the joint venture to be put into operation at the end of 2019.


Meanwhile, Air Central China, a Zhengzhou-based state-owned enterprise owned by Zhongyuan International Aviation Holdings Development Co., Ltd. (Jianye Holding Co., Ltd. holds 40%, Henan Investment Group Co., Ltd. holds 30%, the balance by Zhengzhou investors) is still negotiating with Okay Holdings on the acquisition of the 70 per cent stake in Okay Airways / OKAir. According to Henan Business Daily,  the relevant parties are still negotiating on the acquisition price issue.


Having operational airlines headquartered in Zhengzhou is the obsession of Henan's aviation industry.  The obsession stems from the failure of Zhongyuan Airlines' business, the business suspension due to the Yichun air clash of Henan Airlines and the province's desire for huge investments to form local joint venture airlines and for local airline control.

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