Deer Jet awarded ARGUS Platinum rating

Deer Jet has been awarded an ARGUS Platinum
Rating certificate, the highest recognition of the global business aviation
industry for an airline’s operational performance.

The award will help Deer Jet expand in the
international market and encourage other Chinese business jet operators to improve
their services and operations to meet international standards, said Liu
Kaihong, Deer Jet’s board chairman.

ARGUS is the world’s only international
audit organisation for business jets that has been authorised by both the
International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Business
Aviation Council (IBAC).

It has established a business rating
standard widely used for the auditing of business jets, which includes Gold
Rating, Gold-Plus Rating and Platinum Rating.

“Platinum Rating is the highest level
of the three. Of more than 2,000 corporate aircraft operators all over the
world, only 87 have been given Platinum Rating and they are mainly in America, ”
said ARGUS chief executive officer Joseph Moeggenberg.

“The award means Deer Jet has reached
the highest operational level of the industry. It will be more trusted by the
top 1,000 enterprises of the world, given more business opportunities,”
said Moeggenberg.

There are about 70 business jets operated by
six companies in China
and the total number is expected to exceed 200 by 2012, with an annual growth
of 20 to 40 percent.

However, the Chinese business jet operators
still lack operational experiences and quality services to meet international
standards, such the ARGUS ratings, which are commonly recognised by the
clients, especially from the America
and Europe, said Liu.

Deer Jet is a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines,
China’s
fourth-largest airline. It currently runs 39 business jets. Earlier this year,
the company also passed the audit of the International Standard for Business
Aircraft Operations made by IBAC. The company aims to increase its fleet of
business jets to 55 by the end of 2011.