The Kunming-based all-Boeing operator is looking to technological innovation for regional possibilities in a rapidly growing East China market.

Hot on the heels of its sustainable aircraft concept update last week, Embraer has announced the latest addition to its Energia Advisory Group. This comes in the form of full-service carrier Ruili Airlines, based out of Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) in the Yunnan Province. The airline is the first out of China to join the group.

Arjan Meijer, president and chief executive officer of Embraer Commercial Aviation, stated

“I welcome Ruili Airlines, the first Chinese airline to join our Energia Advisory Group. The partnership between Embraer and Ruili Airlines is a significant step for the Energia project. We look for partners around the globe to share their innovative ideas and operational insights, adding their expertise to the sustainable aviation mission. Ruili Airlines’ perspective will be invaluable in the development of the Energia family of aircraft.”

Privately owned Ruili Airlines operates a domestic and regional international network with a fleet of 22 737 narrowbody jets out of KMG. It commenced operations in 2014 with a domestic service between Kunming and Mangshi, also in the Yunnan province. Since its inception, the carrier has flown over 20 million passengers.

Ye Yajuan, chairman of Ruili Airlines, commented on the next step in the airline's journey along with a new manufacturer,

“We are excited to collaborate with Embraer on the Energia project. It is a great opportunity for us to work with an OEM to influence the design of sustainable next-generation aircraft, accelerating the development of sustainable aviation in China. At Ruili we are committed to breaking new ground and cooperating on innovation to achieve the best results. As the first native airline company of Wuxi, we plan to fully exploit the regional advantages in rapidly growing East China, an increasingly important centre for technology development.”

Meanwhile, the carrier is not only looking to the distant future and new propulsion systems. Ruili Airlines is in the midst of modernizing and growing its fleet with the latest generation narrowbodies. According to data from ch-aviation, the airline has an order for 34 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets and two of the MAX 7. Furthermore, the airline is looking to expand into long-haul territory with an order for six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Currently, it has an all-single-aisle fleet consisting of seven 737-700s and 15 737-800s with an average age of 9.1 years.

Guo Qing, managing director and VP Commercial Aviation, Embraer China, said that he was excited to work with Ruili, and that the airline's participation had particular importance as China is the region most likely to see the most considerable growth in aviation traffic over the coming decades.

The Embraer Energia Advisory Group has been set up for airlines and other industry partners to help define performance and design requirements for the OEM's Energia concept aircraft. This has, for the time being, been focused on two designs ranging from 19 to 30 seats and featuring hybrid-electric and hydrogen-electric propulsion technologies.

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Lead Sustainability Journalist - With a Masters in International Relations, Linnea has combined her love for current affairs with her passion for travel to become a key member of the Simple Flying team. With eight years’ experience in publishing and citations in publications such as CNN, Linnea brings a deep understanding of politics and future aviation tech to her stories. Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.