News
Lucky Air and Shanghai Airlines to add A330s and B787s
February 3rd 2017
Kunming-based Lucky Air, a HNA Group low-cost carrier, will add two Hainan Airlines A330s to its fleet this year; its first wide-bodies, a source has told Aviation Week. Read More » The airline plans to launch long-haul low-cost flights from Kunming with the aircraft and will initially concentrate on flights to Australia and Europe.
Previously, it had been suggested Lucky Air would receive B787-9s from Hainan Airlines’ order book, but now it seems the B787 Dreamliner will stay with Hainan to support the carrier’s rapid long-haul expansion, notably to North America.
Hainan has 30 B787-9s on order from Boeing and also has signed an unspecified number of leasing agreements for additional -9s, including a deal with ALC. The lessor delivered its first -9 to Hainan last June. The Haikou-headquartered carrier operates eight B787-9s and ten -8s.
In related news, industry sources on the Mainland this week suggested China Eastern Airlines’ Shanghai Airlines subsidiary would receive -9 Dreamliners from the parent’s order book from next year to replace the carrier’s two remaining B767-300ERs and older A330s.
China Eastern ordered 15 B787-9s last April with four deliveries in 2018, six in 2019 and the remaining five from 2020 to 2021. The Dreamliner has been a hit with Mainland carriers. Its sales have outpaced competing A350 sales by a wide margin.
Last week, Shanghai’s Juneyao Airlines confirmed a Memorandum of Understanding for five B787-9s, plus five options. According to the carrier, it will receive three of the airplanes in 2018 and two in 2019, which will increase international capacity by 9.2% and 4.4%, respectively.
Juneyao will be the first carrier to join Star Alliance’s Connecting Partner Model (CPM), expected before mid-year. It is believed Juneyao’s first B787 long-haul flights will feed into the Star hubs at Frankfurt, Munich, San Francisco, Vancouver and Chicago.
Ruili Airlines also has a firm order for six B787-9s and Donghai Airlines for five -9s. Xiamen Airlines operates six -8s. Last week it took delivery of its second -9 from an order of six. Air China, Hainan Airlines and China Southern Airlines also operate the Dreamliner.
