News
Hainan launches Chengdu-Los Angeles with Sichuan to follow
March 24th 2017
Hainan Airlines has launched twice-weekly two class B787-8 Chengdu-Los Angeles flights, the first route to connect southwest China with Hollywood. Read More » In 2016, the carrier commenced twice a week Changsha-Los Angeles, also operated by one of its ten B787-8s.
In the interim, Chengdu-headquartered Sichuan Airlines has applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for three times a week Chengdu-Zhengzhou-Los Angeles route and twice-weekly Chengdu-Shenzhen-New York JFK flights from October.
When Chengdu-Zhengzhou-Los Angeles commences, Sichuan Airlines will serve California daily, complementing existing twice-weekly flights from Chengdu via Hangzhou and Jinan. It also flies three times a week to Vancouver from Chengdu via Zhengzhou.
The carrier has a long-haul fleet of five A330-200s and four A330-300s. This is likely to change with the arrival of four A350-900s, leased from AerCap and ALC, from September.
Xiamen Air –it has changed its name from Xiamen Airlines –launched long haul flights in 2015 and now serves Amsterdam, Sydney, Vancouver, Seattle and New York from its bases at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport and Fuzhou Changle International Airport. The 32-year-old carrier, which plans to add Los Angeles and Melbourne to its network this year, has a good reputation on the Mainland for reliability and above-average service.
The airline’s chairman, Che Shanglun, proposed at last year’s 12th National People’s Congress that an aerial Silk Road be established which would connect Xiamen’s Fujian Province with the world. The CAAC endorsed the notion.
"Xiamen Air plans to solidify its traditional strong presence in Southeast Asia, while further developing its long-haul services to North America and Europe. Xiamen Air hopes to serve China's Belt and Road Initiative aimed at raising worldwide connectivity," Che said.
In its 13th five-year development plan, Beijing approved the construction of a new airport for the city of Xiamen and a major expansion of Fuzhou’s Changle.
In other updates, China Southern Airlines is the foreign carrier with the largest capacity into Vietnam after it launched a daily Beijing-Ho Chi Minh City B737-800 service last Friday. China Southern operates 182 flights from China to Vietnam every week, or 26 rotations a day, including resort destinations such as Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc.
