Air Macao Takes Delivery of New Plane

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 ◆ Air Macao Takes Delivery of New Plane

Air Macao took delivery of an A319 airliner which was conferred in a traditional blessing ceremony recently the name "Yangtze", after China's longest river, as the 10th plane in the air carrier's fleet.

The plane, which arrived at the Macao International Airport recently, was the first of five airliners Air Macao plans to rent from the International Lease Financing Corporation, an American company.

Zhang Hongying, chief executive officer of Air Macao, told Xinhua that among the to-be-delivered planes, another one will reach the Macao airport later this year and the remaining three are scheduled for the first half of 2003, with all to be named after China's natural wonders or famous cities.

The airline has now a fleet of one Boeing-757, five A321 and three A320 airplanes, plus the new A319 airliner. Its business depends heavily on Taiwan passengers who shuttle between China's mainland and Taiwan, transferring via Macao.