Hainan Free Trade Port One-Stop Aircraft Maintenance Industrial Base. (PHOTO: Wu Xingcai)

Since 2022, the Hainan Free Trade Port One-Stop Aircraft Maintenance Industrial Base has completed over than 2,200 maintenance projects, including 230 paint jobs and 49,000 parts repairs. It is worth noting that over than 100 imbound aircrafts has been repaired and painted at the base.

A queue of plans outside on the apron. (PHOTO: Wu Xingcai)

Full hangars at the Hainan Free Trade Port One-Stop Aircraft Maintenance Industrial Base, along with a queue of planes outside on the apron, signal a promising future. According to Yang Wenbo, Deputy Director of Grand China Aviation Maintenance Co., Ltd. Airport Maintenance Base, including both first time and repeated customers, the base has recently filled up with planes from Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Qatar. 

The first international wide-body aircraft full-body painting operation. (PHOTO: Wu Xingcai)

Recently, Hainan Airlines Aviation Technic-STTS (HNAT-STTS) successfully completed a full-body livery painting project on a Boeing 777 aircraft, marking the first international wide-body aircraft full-body painting operation completed in the Hainan Free Trade Port. The full-body Boeing 777 aircraft paint job was specially customized by Qatar Airways in order to celebrate the successful conclusion of the European Champions Cup. 

The project stems from a 3-year aircraft painting agreement signed between HNAT-STTS and Qatar Airways in early 2024, which would bring nearly CNY 100 million (approximately USD 13.92 million) in revenue to Hainan.

HNAT-STTS's recent successful completion of a full body paint job and handover of a Boeing 737NG, belongs to South African carrier FlySafair. This project added a new country to the list of countries from which the Hainan Free Trade Port's one-stop aircraft maintenance base sources customers.

"Since the base was commissioned, we have completed inbound aircraft maintenance business for free trade ports in Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea," said Director Yang. Currently, it is becoming more and more common for aircraft from overseas to be delivered to the base.

An airplane repairman repairs the aircraft. (PHOTO: Wu Xingcai)

What's the special ingredient attracting airlines from all over the world to come to Hainan to repair their aircraft?

"The Hainan Free Trade Port's unique policy advantages are extremely attractive." The ability to cut costs without cutting quality is important to customers. As Director Yang explained, aircraft entering China for maintenance can enjoy preferential policies, such as an exemption from deposits, the duty-free use of parts from overseas, and bonded maintenance materials. All told, they can save anywhere from 10% to 15% on maintenance costs.

Not only that, as the number of aircraft entering China for maintenance continues to increase, the customs office at the Haikou Meilan International Airport has established a special "green channel" for aircraft, engines, and aviation materials in order to ensure rapid customs clearance in line with the needs of local enterprises, including arranging special personnel to carry out centralized document review, inspection work, and providing a 24-hour round the clock service guarantee. Enterprises also save time.

"Our location in the Hainan Free Trade Port gives us both geographical advantages and the dividends from good policies. This let us have broad market prospects from our close neighbors in Japan, South Korea, South Asia, and Southeast Asia to Europe and the Middle East," said Director Yang.

High quality maintenance work and a good service attitude are a big selling point with international customers. As well, because international aircrafts coming from for maintenance are able to enjoy Hainan's preferential policies, such as deposit-free maintenance, bonded aviation fuel, and duty-free parts and materials. The enterprises at the base have undertaken overhaul and painting business on more than 100 inbound aircrafts from over 20 international airlines. Airlines from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Qatar have already become regular customers.

"With Hainan as our core development area, our next tasks are to increase our capacity, improve our ability to do passenger-to-cargo conversions, achieve full coverage of all aircraft maintenance products, and improve the aviation maintenance industrial chain. At the same time, taking advantage of the policy dividends and development opportunities provided by the Hainan Free Trade Port, we will actively expand our customer bases in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and the Middle East, and promote the steady development of the FTP’s aviation maintenance business," said Director Yang.