KUCHING: A high-level delegation from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) paid a courtesy call on Sarawak Minister for Transport, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin at Bangunan Baitulmakmur here, on Thursday.
 
The COMAC delegation, led by Chief Financial Officer, Yu Shihai, included senior officials such as Deputy General Manager of the Marketing & Sales Centre, Liu Yan, Director of the Airworthiness Department, Li Guoping, and representatives from the Overseas Sales and Sales Engineering departments.
 
During the courtesy call, COMAC introduced several of its aircraft models, including the C909, C919, and C929, which are seen as having potential contributions to the development of the aviation industry in Sarawak.
 
The Sarawak representatives, in turn, shared updates on the state's aviation sector, including the acquisition of MASwings, leading to the establishment of AirBorneo, as part of its efforts to enhance regional air connectivity.
 
For the record, in March last year, the ARJ21 aircraft, now known as the C909, successfully conducted a demonstration flight from Subang to Kuching, proving its suitability for regional routes.
 
Dato Sri Lee welcomed COMAC’s interest in Sarawak and reaffirmed the state government's commitment to strengthening the aviation sector.
 
 “Sarawak is actively expanding its air network and enhancing its aviation industry capacity.
 
“We welcome any form of collaboration that supports our long-term goals in improving air connectivity and driving economic growth,” he said.
 
Also present were representatives from ICBC Aviation Leasing, the aircraft leasing arm of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), including General Manager, Zhen Yan.
 
The Sarawak Government was represented by Sarawak Deputy Minister for Transport, Datuk Dr. Jerip Susil, Permanent Secretary to the Sarawak Ministry of Transport, Datu Wong Hee Sieng, and Aviation Technical Advisor, Sio Yew Hua. -UKASnews