China Airlines Co (中華航空), Taiwan's biggest carrier, is discussing a joint venture with French aerospace group Snecma to build a jet engine maintenance hub in Asia, the company said Friday.
The airline has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. The two companies would cooperate in upgrading the Taiwanese carrier's jet maintenance, repair and overhaul services, China Airlines Chairman Lee Yun-ling (
China Airlines is trying to rebuild its image after one of its Boeing 747-200 jets broke up on May 25 high over the Taiwan Strait about 20 minutes into a Taipei-Hong Kong flight, killing all 225 passengers on board. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
On Friday, Lee said that China Airlines and Snecma signed a memorandum of understanding to build a maintenance base in Taiwan for CFM56-7 jet engines, used in several of Boeing's 737 jets. A company statement added that the base would be "developed into a regional engine maintenance center."
Since last month's crash, the airline's shares have taken a beating and many passengers have avoided the airline.
The carrier plans to order at least 12 new aircraft in the second half of this year, replacing its aging Airbus SAS A300-600R jetliners. The carrier said it's considering Airbus's A330 or Boeing Co's 777 as potential replacements.
``The reconfiguration will create a younger and simpler fleet to improve our safety and lower our maintenance costs,'' company spokesman Roger Han (
Sales of China Airlines rose 15 percent from a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Sales rose to NT$6.2 billion (US$185 million) from NT$5.4 billion. Sales declined 2.8 percent from NT$6.4 billion in the previous month.
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