Chinese-made aircraft begins operations in Micronesia

A Y-12E aircraft, made by China’s Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co (HAIG), recently began operations in the Federated States of Micronesia, a small island nation located in the Western Pacific.

The aircraft will replace United Airlines’ Boeing 737 as the primary mode of transport between Micronesia’s Yap State and the Republic of Palau.

HAIG signed a deal to deliver the Y-12E aircraft to Micronesia in April, 2013. It was expected to be used for transportation and medical rescue missions across the country.

The Y-12E is a regional turboprop aircraft, one of five in the Y-12 series. The model was certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in December 2001.

The Y-12 series is the most popular civil aircraft series ever produced in China, and 200 have been sold in domestic and overseas markets.

The versatile, high-performance aircraft can be easily modified to fulfill a variety of different functions, such as passenger and cargo transport, parachuting, crop dusting, aerial photography, emergency rescue, maritime surveys, and weather monitoring.

In 2016, the Y-12E received its certification from the Federated States of Micronesia and was authorized to begin ground and air operations in the country in October 2017.