Mooney To Start China Deliveries

Mooney, which was bought by Chinese interests last year, has now been approved to export its airplanes to China, the company said recently. The company, based in Kerrville, Texas, has completed all the paperwork, and a new Mooney M20TN Acclaim Type S will become the company's first official "B" registered airplane. This aircraft has already been sold to a private owner and is due to arrive in China soon. Also, two U.S.-registered Mooney airplanes based in China, which are used for demonstration and exhibition flights, now will trade their U.S. N-numbers for Chinese B-numbers, the company said.

The approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China is "excellent news for Mooney International and prospective customers in China," said Mooney CEO Jerry Chen. So far, manufacturing is continuing to take place in Kerrville and in Chino, Calif., but the company has said it also may start to build airplanes in China if demand develops.