New Chinese Airline East Star to introduce 20 Airbus A320s

East Star Airlines, a new Chinese airline based in Wuhan, has signed a Letter of Intent with Airbus for the purchase of 10 A320s plus a firm lease deal with GE Commercial Aviation Service (GECAS) for another 10 A320s, becoming a new Airbus customer in China. Deliveries of the leased A320s to East Star will start from the second quarter of 2006. The aircraft will accommodate 128 passengers in a two-class configuration.

East Star received approval for operation from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on June 10, 2005. Headquartered in Wuhan, the Capital city of Hubei Province, East Star Airlines plans to start operations in May 2006 with a network connecting more than 10 major Chinese cities, including Shenzhen, Nanjing, Xi’an, Haikou, and Hangzhou.

"The A320 family aircraft is no doubt the best choice for our new airline. Its unmatched low operating costs with the highest level of passenger comfort will help us take off smoothly and successfully," said Lan Shili, President of East Star Group.

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