The world's biggest aircraft leasing company by fleet size will "surely buy" China's domestically developed aircraft, its top official said yesterday.
Aengus Kelly, chief executive officer of AerCap, predicted the ARJ21 regional jet and the C919 single-aisle aircraft will become successful amid the booming domestic civil aviation market.
AerCap will "surely buy them" if there is demand for the aircraft, they perform well and their prices are reasonable, Kelly said in an interview with Shanghai Daily.
"I think they will become successful aircraft in the long term, but it takes a long time."
The world's top leaser plans to invest US$1 billion to buy aircraft and lease them to Chinese airlines in 2015.
The Chinese market now accounts for 12 percent of AerCap's total business, Kelly said, adding that profit is expected to rise 8 percent annually.
China will need over 6,000 new passenger aircraft in the next 20 years. It will also be the world's biggest aircraft market by 2032, Kelly said.
