02 Oct 2025
#1 October 2025: China Aviation Industry Newsletter
China Southern Airlines Resumes Urumqi–Dubai Route
China Southern Airlines has restarted its direct passenger service between Urumqi and Dubai, operated twice weekly using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The resumed route, running out of Urumqi Tianshan International Airport, is now the shortest direct air link between China and the United Arab Emirates. The service boosts access not only to the Xinjiang region—including tourist destinations like Kanas, Ili, and Kashgar—but also offers wider domestic and Central/South Asian connectivity through Urumqi as a hub.
Doha Hub Signs Sister Airport Agreement with Beijing Daxing
Hamad International Airport (DOH), Qatar, and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), China, have signed a Sister Airport agreement aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and global connectivity. The agreement enhances strategic aviation collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative and follows partnerships between Qatar Airways and Chinese carriers such as China Southern and Xiamen Airlines. According to Daxing Airport CEO Zhang Lin, the airports will collaborate across four pillars—network connectivity, freight logistics, operational innovation, and global competitiveness—to drive deeper cultural and economic ties.
Satair Chengdu Secures First Airframe Acquisition
Satair Chengdu, part of the Airbus Services group, has finalised its first-ever airframe acquisition—a 2005-manufactured Airbus A319 formerly operated by Sichuan Airlines—from CALC Tianjin, a subsidiary of China Aircraft Leasing Group. The aircraft will be dismantled by Airbus Chengdu Lifecycle Services (ALS), with usable components funnelled into the used serviceable materials (USM) market via Satair and VAS Aero Services. This acquisition marks a pivotal step in the development of sustainable aircraft lifecycle management solutions in China.
Acumen’s Take
On China Southern’s Urumqi–Dubai Route
The resumption of this niche but strategically vital route reflects both commercial potential and geopolitical alignment. As the shortest corridor between China and the UAE, this route enhances bilateral tourism and trade while reinforcing Urumqi’s position as a regional connector. It also aligns with China’s efforts to integrate Xinjiang into wider international aviation networks, which could stimulate local economies and passenger volumes in underserved regions.
On Doha–Daxing Sister Airport MoU
This agreement goes beyond symbolism. As both airports rank among the most advanced globally, their collaboration sets the stage for infrastructure synchronisation, shared innovation frameworks, and freight corridor optimisation. Strategically, it supports both Qatar’s aviation diplomacy and China's global ambitions through the Belt and Road Initiative. The alliance also positions Beijing Daxing as a key East Asian gateway for Middle Eastern carriers.
On Satair Chengdu’s First Airframe Deal
Satair Chengdu’s inaugural acquisition signifies China’s growing focus on aircraft retirement, recycling, and USM monetisation. The dismantling of mature airframes, if efficiently executed, can deliver significant aftermarket value—especially as global supply chains for components remain under pressure. This also adds weight to Airbus’s lifecycle support ambitions in Asia, building out its end-of-life ecosystem in one of the world’s largest aviation markets.
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