The contract for the sale of three aircrafts was signed on January 18, 2019, by representatives of Aircraft Industries and Yingan General Aviation in Wuhan, China, where the base for the L-410 will be built. The signing was also attended by the Head of the Economic Section of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Beijing. Czech aircrafts will serve regional transport in the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan in South China among others. The L-410 can carry up to 19 passengers, and its advantages include the ability to land or take off in difficult terrain, thus well equipped for the conditions in rugged areas in China. After delivering the first airplanes, Aircraft Industries is planning to build a service centre in Wuhan.

The process of L-410 certification for the Chinese market began in 2017 with the support of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Beijing and its economic diplomacy project called "A-Z Solution for Chinese Aviation." As part of the project, the Chinese Civil Aviation Authority visited the Aircraft Industries in Kunovice in July 2017 where a three-day "technical familiarization" with the L-410 was performed. Subsequently, the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement was signed between the EU and China at the end of 2017, which allowed the L 410 to be launched as a pilot project for European and Chinese aviation. Expert teams are in regular contact during the L-410 certification, and the process is expected to be completed later in 2019.

The L-410 is used for regional transport around the world, including poorly accessible areas in Africa, South Asia, and Siberia. China will now be included in the portfolio of Aircraft Industries as one of the key markets with significant potential for future growth. Civil aviation in China is experiencing a spectacular boom. China plans to build 450 airports by 2035, almost doubling the current number of airports. This is also related to the increasing import and production of aircrafts and aircraft components, training of pilots and other professional staff or the increasing demand for new airports. At the same time, further development of aviation in China will require a greater opening of airspace. In the coming years, China will overtake the current leading role of the United States as the largest airline market in the world, and the L-410 will be a valuable part of China's transformation into an aviation power.

Lukáš Opatrný, Head of the Economic Section, Embassy of the Czech Republic in Beijing