China Express Air vows to complete safety overhauls in five days after landing scare

China Express Air (CEA), which was ordered to halt flights after a landing scare Saturday, said it will strive to complete required safety inspections within five days so it can apply to resume operations.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Saturday ordered the airline to halt operations and conduct safety checks after the right wing of a Bombardier CRJ 200 regional jet scraped the ground on landing at Guiyang Airport in southwest China early on Aug. 28, CEA said in a statement on its website Wednesday.

The CAAC ordered the airline to halt all flights from Wednesday.

Chen Huaiyu, deputy general manager of CEA, said Wednesday a CAAC inspection group had gathered information on the incident, and an investigation into the cause was underway.

The incident occurred on flight G52744 from Shijiazhuang to Guiyang.

Chen said the company had launched a thorough safety review of its flight techniques, attendants and ground services as well as logistics support.

More than 30 flights scheduled for Wednesday were canceled. Refunds of fares were proceeding smoothly, Chen said.

According to a CAAC dispatch Saturday, a date for the resumption of CEA flights would be decided only after the safety overhaul is completed.

"The accident reflects the grave safety problems with the company's operations, as a result of your lack of risk control and inefficient management," said a CAAC dispatch to the airline.

Li Jian, deputy director of CAAC, warned at a meeting in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang Tuesday that if any airline turns a blind eye to safety and the public interest, it is not entitled to make a profit.

He said that according to preliminary investigations, the company did not report its malpractices to the regulator in a timely manner. Passengers had reported the incident.

It was the first suspension order issued by CAAC in a crack down on airline safety after a Brazil-made ERJ-190 plane operated by Henan Airlines crashed on landing at Lindu Airport, Yichun City in northeast China, on Aug. 24, killing 42 and injuring 54 people on board.

Li Jian said CAAC will intensify the crackdown, warning more airlines will be ordered to suspend or cut back flights if similar accidents repeat.

CEA, established in September 2006, is China's first private regional airline. It operates four 50-seat Bombardier CRJ 200 regional aircraft and employs more than 60 flight personnel.

Source:Xinhua