The maiden flight of China's new regional airline, Joy Air (Xingfu Hangkong), departed Xi'an on the morning of August 15 and arrived safely in Yan'an about 40 minutes later.

The plane that flew the maiden flight was, like all the aircraft in the Joy Air fleet, a domestically manufactured aircraft - the lightweight Xi'an MA60 manufactured by the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation.

Joy Air is a joint venture airline between Aviation Industry Corporation of China and China Eastern Airlines. The airlines fleet will operate mainly in northwest China.

Three of the MA60 planes, which seat 60 passengers, have already been put into operation, flying services from Xi'an to Mianyang, Taiyuan, Zhengzhou and Yan'an. 

Joy Air has promised to offer low-cost flights to domestic customers with seats on flights from Xi'an to Zhengzhou expected to retail at 380 yuan.

Current discounts available on their website offer seats for 100 yuan on flights from Xi'an to various destinations.

The airline has claimed that the low fuel consumption of the MA60's have enabled them to lower prices.

Aside from this, regional airlines also qualify for preferential policies in relation to the payment of airport construction taxes.

Links and Sources
Joy Air's Official Website
Joy Air: Image