Airline News
Mainland Chinese expansion at Pudong Aviation City, Tianjin Airlines, Sichuan Airlines
August 24th 2015
Unfazed by the catastrophic events at a Tianjin warehouse storing dangerous chemicals that killed 114, Tianjin Airlines, a subsidiary of HNA Group, last week launched daily Tianjin-Haneda operations. Read More » As demand on the Mainland increases, Tianjin Airlines president, Liu Lu, said the carrier plans to introduce A330 wide bodies from next Spring (April) to open long-haul routes to Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. At press time, Tianjin Airlines had a fleet of 86 narrowbodies, comprising 17 A320s, 22 Embraer145s and 46 Embraer 190/195s. Parent Hainan Airlines has filed applications at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate a daily B787-8 Pudong-Tianjin-New York (JFK) service alongside a five times a week A330 Tianjin-Vancouver flights.
Sichuan Airlines will launch a twice-weekly Chengdu-Yinchuan-Dubai A330 service on September 2, the third route linking Chengdu with the Gulf, following Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi and Qatar Airways’ Doha links. Sichuan Airlines is on a rapid growth trajectory, having launched Kathmandu April 1, Moscow May 2 and Chiang Mai August 7. It is planning a daily Haneda service from December. At press time, it had a fleet of 103 aircraft; 96 A320-Family frames and seven A330s.
Tianjin-based Okay Airways will merge its regional operations with Joy Air following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding last week, China's Sina news agency has reported.
In Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines said its board had approved “the termination of the proposed establishment of Jetstar Hong Kong”. The carrier placed an order for 15 A330s, after announcing $556 million in first-half earnings, and said it had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shanghai Pudong District Government to “build Asia’s largest aviation city” in Zhuqiao district. In addition to establishing China’s largest cargo hub within the earmarked zone, local media reported the China Eastern Group would bring in new projects, including aircraft design, maintenance, repair and training facilities.
U.S. carrier, United Airlines, postponed its second daily Shanghai-San Francisco flight for the third time this year because of difficulties obtaining slots at Pudong that suit passengers’ schedules. Based on the latest filings, United will start the service from September 13.
