Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

China’s ICBC Leasing has signed a firm order with Airbus covering a total of 50 A320-family narrowbodies, including 30 current-generation A320s and 20 A320neos. Worth as much as $4 billion based on list prices, the deal comes as China continues to exert pressure over Europe’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) by <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ain-air-transport-perspective/2012-07-16/airbus-eyes-year-end-horizon-solve-ets-row-china">withholding final approval of other Airbus sales</a> in the People’s Republic.


One of a series of Europe-China pacts signed in the presence of visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the deal accompanies a $1.6 billion framework agreement to extend the contract for A320 production in Tianjin, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.


“The order indicates that leasing companies are playing a more important role in the aviation sector,” said Li Xiaopeng, senior executive vice president of ICBC and chairman of ICBC Leasing.


The provision for 20 A320neos makes ICBC the first Chinese customer for the re-engined Airbus narrowbody, scheduled for introduction in 2015. ICBC has yet to commit to an engine choice. Airbus offers an option of either the Pratt &amp; Whitney PW1000G or CFM Leap-1A for the Neo.


By the end of July, more than 700 A320-series airplanes were flying with 15 Chinese airlines.


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Chinese Leasing Firm Places Major A320 Order 

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