The handover ceremony of 7-unit Yutong ZK6140BD airport ferry buses to Air China was held in Yutong Industrial Park, Zhengzhou on January 12, 2011. Leaders from both Air China and Yutong Company were present at the ceremony. It is the first time for Air China, the state-owned air transport enterprise in China, to purchase the domestically made airport ferry buses. Meanwhile, it is also the second time for Yutong to cooperate with Chinese leading airlines after delivering the ferry buses of the same kind to China Southern Airlines in November last year.  

“Air China and Yutong, as the brand in China’s air transport sector and China’s bus industry respectively, their cooperation can be dubbed as alliance between two giants. In addition, along with the application of Yutong ferry buses among Chinese major airlines, the structure of this market segment will gradually be changed after being monopolized by foreign brands for a long time,” said insiders.

Air China is the only airline company in China which carries the national flag. It is known to all that Air China takes the responsibility of special plane task for Chinese national leaders visiting abroad, and foreign leaders and governmental leaders visiting China, which demonstrates the exclusive status as the national flag carrier. Therefore, during the procurement process, the leaders of Air China attached great importance to the issue and set a very high purchase standard. The quality of Yutong airport ferry buses is not inferior to its foreign peers in terms of interiors and exteriors as well as safety and comfort. In some areas like configuration and design, it is even better than that of foreign brands. Eventually, Yutong products won Air China’s favor.

With stylish appearance and low floor structure, the ferry bus is eye-catching. Adopted integral structure and chassis frame welded with special-shaped steel profiles, the safety and reliability of vehicles are guaranteed. Since the weight of ferry buses is mainly focused in the front section, the bearing capacity of front axle is designed higher than that of imported products. Together with the high-horsepower engine, the overall performance of the bus is much better than that of foreign counterparts. In addition, two sets of air-conditioning system and heating system are equipped for driving area and passenger area respectively, showing the great concern on human beings. With NVH technology, the noise level is less than 75 decibels in the driving area and 65 decibels in passenger area, providing a more comfortable riding experience.     

The airport ferry bus is an important tool to embody the service level of airlines. But, for a long time, due to the high requirements on manufacturing technology and product quality, the market of airport ferry buses has always been monopolized by foreign brands. As a leading bus builder in China’s bus industry, Yutong is committed to upgrading its technology and products through self-led innovation. “It is a great honor for us to cooperate with Air China. I hope the homemade airport ferry buses can carry the guests from all over the world, showcasing the manufacturing strength of China in front of the world. Yutong will also make persistent efforts to contribute to the rise of national industry,” said Wang Wenbing, vice GM of Yutong company.