The Civil Aviation Department has issued a certificate of airworthiness to a Boeing 747-400 special freighter - the first Cathay Pacific Airways' freighter converted from a passenger aircraft.
The Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Company Limited, or TAECO, did the conversion.
Addressing a ceremony at TAECO in Xiamen today, Director-General of Civil Aviation Norman Lo said the event reflected a number of 'firsts, including the first:
*conversion of a Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft into a freighter;
*conversion carried out outside the Boeing facility; and
*certification flight tests conducted outside the United States.
TAECO performed the aircraft's modification in Xiamen. As a regulatory authority, the Civil Aviation Department had been monitoring the progress to ensure high standards of workmanship, airworthiness and safety.
During the conduct of the intensive certification flight tests in the busy Hong Kong airspace, the Hong Kong Air Traffic Control Centre worked closely with the Boeing flight test team to ensure the smooth completion of the rigorous flight tests.
TAECO also received an approval for its fourth hangar, which is capable of accommodating two aircraft, including an Airbus A380. It will come into service this month.
Prior to the approval's issue, a joint audit of the new facility was conducted to the satisfaction of the Civil Aviation Department, the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, the Singapore Civil Aviation Authority, the US Federal Aviation Administration, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
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