On the first day of the Paris Air Show, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres announced that it had won a contract from AVIC Aircraft Xi’an Branch.
The Birmingham-based company will provide tyres for a new turbo-prop regional airliner being developed by the Chinese manufacturer. Each Modern Ark 700 aircraft (MA700) will require six tyres (two for the nose-wheels and four for the main wheels); AVIC estimates that it will need tyres for around 800 aircraft.
The 70-seater MA700 is due to make its first flight in 2017, before going into service in 2019 with Okay Airways and Joy Air. AVIC Aircraft Xi’an Branch claims that it will burn about 10% less fuel than its competitors and will be the first Chinese turbo-prop aircraft to gain certification by western authorities.
Wang Bing, director of the programme management department at AVIC Aircraft Xi’an Branch, said: “Dunlop’s track record, particularly within the regional turbo-prop market-place, means that we can depend on it to deliver for us and our customers.
“The company will be a key partner during the development of the aircraft, and its ability to re-tread tyres here in China — as well as in Europe and the Americas — once the MA700 is in service will mean that we can jointly serve the needs of our global customer base.”