Xiamen Customs officers inspect the aircraft. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]
A Boeing aircraft that had undergone maintenance in HAECO Xiamen was prepared to return to international service on Jan 13, marking the first aircraft repaired in Xiamen to re-enter the global market in 2026.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), Xiamen serviced a total of 998 inbound aircraft, ranking first nationwide.
"With policy support, we are now able to conduct maintenance outside the comprehensive bonded zone, which has significantly reduced our costs and improved efficiency, strengthening our competitiveness in the industry," said Sun Li, customs manager of HAECO Xiamen.
"During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we secured a contract with Emirates, the world's largest airline, and some of our maintenance orders are currently scheduled all the way out to 2030," he added.
Maintenance outside the comprehensive bonded zone is an innovative regulatory approach introduced by Xiamen under the 14th Five-Year Plan. Under this model, aviation maintenance enterprises operating outside the zone can benefit from bonded policy benefits, including exemptions from guarantees, eligibility for tax rebates, and ledger-based management. This policy is estimated to help companies save approximately 2.2 billion yuan ($315 million) in annual guarantee costs.
In 2025, HAECO Xiamen became the first globally to complete its 100th maintenance of the Boeing 787 landing gear, marking a new milestone.
The import and export value of bonded aviation maintenance outside supervised zones in Xiamen reached 558.68 billion yuan during the 14th Five-Year Plan, with an average annual growth rate of 255.24 percent.
HAECO Xiamen Phase IV Hangar. [Photo/HAECO Xiamen]