Liu Huinan (R), deputy chief engineer of Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co, and Shi Yanfeng (L), general manager of the civil aviation department of AVIC International Holding Corporation, sign an aircraft handover certificate for one Y-12E aircraft in Harbin on Nov 8.[Photo/Chinanews.com]

Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co (HAIG) delivered one Y-12E aircraft to the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean on Nov 8. The aircraft will be used for medical rescue and transportation among the country’s islands.

According to the delivery schedule, the aircraft was transported to Kunming in Yunnan province on Nov 10, to await its departure from China.

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 Y-12 can be configured to satisfy a range of different requirements due to its flexibility and high-performance functions. They can be used for passenger or cargo transportation, parachuting, seed or insecticide spraying, aerial photography, emergency rescue, maritime surveys and weather modification.

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

President Peter M. Christian of the Federated States of Micronesia said that he thought highly of the performance of the Y-12 series when he visited Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co in March 2017.