Chinese aviation delegation inspects Victorian aero firms on back of Super Trade Mission
A Chinese aviation delegation visited Gippsland this week to inspect the locally designed and manufactured GippsAERO GA8 Airvan, Australia’s only locally manufactured aircraft, for potential sale in China.
The delegation included senior officials from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the Chairman of Jinggong General Aviation Group, the appointed distributor of the GA8 Airvan in China.
The Minister responsible for the Aviation Industry Gordon Rich-Phillips said the visit comes just weeks after the Victorian Coalition Government’s Super Trade Mission to China.Rich
“Our Super Trade Mission is already paying dividends, with strong relationships formed between the Australian and Chinese companies,” Mr Rich-Phillips said.
“The Coalition Government has opened the doors for Victorian aviation firms to connect with the Chinese market, to bring Australian innovation to one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies.
“It shows the Coalition Government has the right approach to regional engagement. It shows that by taking the initiative, the sky’s the limit.”
The delegation also inspected a Melbourne aircraft maintenance training academy, Aviation Training Services Victoria (ATSV), to discuss its plans to train Chinese aircraft engineers to maintain the GA8 Airvans in their homeland.
The Victorian Coalition Government also recently announced as part of the Super Trade Mission that China’s Sichuan Airlines would establish its Australian headquarters in Melbourne and commence direct flights between Chengdu and Melbourne.
"Victoria has a fantastic opportunity to capitalise on the worldwide growth within the aviation sector and the Coalition Government is making that happen,” Mr Rich-Phillips said.
