A Boeing aircraft bearing Shandong Airlines logo completes Xiamen's first bonded aircraft leasing deal involving a dual transfer of title and usage rights. [Photo provided to ftz.xm.gov.cn]
A Boeing aircraft bearing Shandong Airlines logo took off on July 29 from Haikou Meilan International Airport for Jinan, marking its first flight after a change in both ownership and operating rights, and signaling the completion of Xiamen's first bonded aircraft leasing deal involving a dual transfer of title and usage rights.
"The plane was owned by an Irish company and leased to Hainan Airlines," said a manager at Xiamen Lukuan Aircraft Leasing. "We bought it from the Irish owner this year, and after the lease with Hainan expired, we delivered it to Shandong Airlines."
This transaction marks the first-ever pilot project in aircraft leasing within the Xiangyu Comprehensive Bonded Zone and involves two concurrent layers of rights transfer: at the ownership level, the lessor changes from an overseas entity to a domestic leasing company based in the zone; at the usage rights level, the operator switches from Hainan Airlines to Shandong Airlines, involving a cross-carrier handover of operational control and contractual obligations.
The completion of this transaction enables flexible two-way transfers of bonded aircraft assets and paves the way for a replicable regulatory model that can help revitalize existing bonded aircraft assets and facilitate secondary-market leasing for used aircraft.
As one of the country's key hubs for aircraft leasing, the Xiamen Free Trade Zone has ranked among national leaders for total aircraft leasing volume. It has also expanded into integrated circuits, medical devices, and film equipment, with specialized leasing assets in the zone exceeding 190 billion yuan ($28.1 billion) to date, with cumulative trade value reaching approximately 63 billion yuan.