Hainan Airlines Holds Five-Star Rating for 13th Year, Secures Triple Win at World Award 2024

Alongside accolades for staff service and business class comfort, the carrier also celebrates a major safety milestone and expanded service offerings

On June 24, SKYTRAX, the global airline and airport service evaluator, unveiled the World Award 2024 in London, UK, with Hainan Airlines receiving the prestigious SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline accolade for its exceptional services and products for the thirteenth consecutive year. The carrier also triumphs in three categories: Best Airlines in China, Best Airlines Staff Service in China, and Best Business Class Comfort Amenities. Ding Yongzheng, Chairman of HNA Aviation Group, attended the World Award Ceremony.

Edward Plaisted, Chairman of Skytrax said: "We congratulate Hainan Airlines on the fabulous achievement of winning the Best Airline in China award for a remarkable thirteenth time. Their success in winning the Best Airline Staff Service in China award is a great reward for both the management and front-line staff of Hainan Airlines. Their final award for the Best Business Class Airline Amenities underlines the importance they place upon providing business class customers with the highest comfort levels onboard flights."

Mr. Zhu Tao, Chairman of Hainan Airlines said,"We are deeply honored to receive three prestigious awards at the 2024 World Award. This recognition is not only for Hainan Airlines' consistent efforts in product innovation, but also for our staff. With forward-looking concepts, Hainan Airlines works on innovative service models by technology and strives for eco-friendly operations. In the future, Hainan Airlines will promote this honour through five-star service, continuously pursuing excellence to provide travellers with safer, more convenient, comfortable, and environmentally friendly travel experiences."

Since joining the Liaoning Fangda Group, Hainan Airlines has begun a new chapter in its growth trajectory. By the end of February 2024, the airline had achieved a significant milestone of 10 million consecutive safe flight hours, earning the prestigious "Flight Safety Diamond Award" from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Hainan Airlines has also intensified its route recovery efforts, expanding its route network and enhancing its service offerings. Its commitment to safe, efficient, and high-quality aviation services has garnered widespread praise and favour among travellers.

Hainan Airlines continues to bolster the recovery of international routes and to broaden its network. For the 2024 summer and autumn seasons, the airline will operate nearly 500 domestic routes and over 40 international and regional routes, providing service to multiple cities across Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and beyond.

Hainan Airlines plans to resume the Brussels to Shanghai (Pudong) flight route on 18th June.

Hainan Airlines has confirmed it plans to resume direct flights between Brussels and Shanghai Pudong from 18th June this year.  

After Brussels-Beijing and Brussels-Shenzhen, this is Hainan Airlines' third route to China from Belgium, now double Daily flights from Belgium to China by Hainan Airlines. With additional options for travel between Europe and China, the Brussels-Shanghai (Pudong) route's resume will promote deeper cultural contact and collaboration between the two regions, the airline affirms.

Hainan Airlines reportedly intends to operate four international flights per week between Brussels and Shanghai (Pudong) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The outbound flights are expected to take 11 hours to complete, take off from Brussels International Airport at 12:00 local time and landing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 5:00 local time the following day. The inbound flights are scheduled to depart from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 02:10 local time and arrive at Brussels International Airport at 08:10 local time, with an estimated flight duration of 12 hours.

CDB Aviation leases fleet of six Boeing and Airbus aircraft to Hainan Airlines

CDB Aviation, has announced on the sidelines of Airline Economics’ Growth Frontiers 2023 Singapore conference the signing of lease agreements for a fleet of three new Boeing 737 MAX 8 and three Airbus A320neo aircraft with its existing Chinese airline customer, Hainan Airlines Co. Ltd.

“We are very pleased to be building on our long-standing relationship with Hainan Airlines as they position their airlines to expand into the coming decade, aiming to operate a 1,000-strong fleet by 2029,” said Jie Chen, CDB Aviation’s Chief Executive Officer. “CDB Aviation is confident that Asia will experience a robust rebound in air travel between now and the end of 2024. We are geared up to meet the demand for aircraft from Chinese and Asian carriers, with ongoing campaigns for both placements and SLBs in the region.”

“CDB Aviation has long been an important business partner to Hainan Airlines. The placement of six new generation aircraft demonstrates the confidence and determination of both parties to further our strategic cooperation,” stated Zhu Tao, President and CEO, Hainan Airlines.

The three MAX aircraft will be delivered to the carrier between August and November of next year, while the three NEO aircraft will arrive between October and November.

The North is set for an economic boost as direct links to China are restored from Manchester Airport

Major boost for the North as flights to and from China restarts today from Manchester Airport

The service will operate weekly each Monday arriving at 10:00 and departing at 15:00

The route’s return is being praised by various organisations across the North including in Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria

The North is set for an economic boost as it was confirmed direct air links with China will be restored for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Hainan Airlines has announced it will resume its Beijing-Manchester service from Monday 22nd August.

The airline started flights from the Northern hub in 2016, with the route going on to unlock hundreds of millions of pounds in trade, investment and tourism benefits.

The UK and Chinese governments last week agreed Manchester-China was one of the air corridors that could resume after a two-and-a-half year hiatus, and Hainan has moved quickly to start operating the popular service again, in time for the busy student season.

Hainan Airlines will use an A330 aircraft with both economy and business classes

The news has been hailed as a major boost to the North and UK’s levelling-up ambitions, with Manchester Airport becoming the only gateway outside of London with a direct service to mainland China.

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said:  “Today’s announcement is clear evidence of the vital economic role that Manchester Airport plays, both in the North and the UK as a whole, as we emerge from the pandemic. Prior to 2020, the Hainan service provided vital connectivity to one of the world’s most important economies and I am sure this news will be welcomed by the hundreds of thousands of people across the North who travel to and from China each year.

It is extremely positive to see critical routes like this return to our departure boards and we look forward to working closely with Hainan Airlines to build on the previous success of this route.”

Pre-pandemic, there were around 100,000 people a year who travelled between Manchester and Beijing from the airport’s catchment area.

Economic impact studies showed the route led to a 38% increase in Chinese visitors to the North, with an average spend per visit increasing by 94%, and export values grew by 41%. 

The return of the route will also be incredibly encouraging for the more than 40 universities across the airport’s catchment area that welcome thousands of Chinese students each year.

Due to policy in China, the outbound service to Beijing will initially stop in the Chinese city of Dalian, but the inbound service will be direct from Beijing.  From October the service will operate on a Tuesday.

 

President Trump to ban Chinese Airlines from flying into the US

   

                In a move likely to cause major retaliation and tension, the US President Donald Trump has instigated a travel ban on Chinese passenger aircraft from flying to the United States from 16th June.

Tensions are simmering away to an almost boiling point between the two nations, as the US wants to put pressure on China to allow US airlines to restart air services.  The stance by the U.S. Department of Transportation under Trump's instruction is aimed at penalizing China for what the U.S. says is failing to comply with an existing agreement on flights between the two countries. 

This order applies to Sichuan Airline, Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and  Xiamen Airlines.

The Trump administration accused the Chinese government of making it impossible for U.S. airlines to resume service to China and ordered four Chinese carriers to file flight schedules with the U.S. government.

Hainan governor says HNA's liquidity issues can be solved

The governor of China’s Hainan province told Reuters he believes HNA Group will eventually resolve its liquidity issues, adding that a government-led working group had helped mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic for the troubled aviation and tourism group.

Responding to written questions from Reuters, Hainan Governor Shen Xiaoming did not go in detail into how the working group was helping HNA, saying only that steps taken so far had helped to reassure creditors.

“The working group has effectively helped stabilise the confidence of creditors, the market and HNA’s employees,” Shen wrote, adding that as a result the company was still in business, reports Reuters. 

HNA asks China's Hainan government for help

HNA Group has asked the government of China’s province of Hainan to lead a work group dedicated to resolving its increasing liquidity risks after a slowdown in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak.



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HNA Group is not able to thoroughly deal with liquidity risks itself, the company said in a post on its official WeChat account on Saturday, news agency Reuters reports. 

HNA directly owns or holds stakes in a number of local Chinese carriers, including Hainan Airlines, and is among many companies pressured by the coronavirus outbreak that has forced widespread flight cancellations.

The work group is being led by Gu Gang, chairman of Hainan Development Holdings Co., an investment arm of the government of the southern province, the WeChat post said.

Officials from the Hainan Yangpu Economic Development Zone, the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s Central and Southern Regional Administration and China Development Bank are also involved in the work team, HNA said.

Hainan Airlines Awarded the SKYTRAX 5-Star Airline Designation for the 9th Consecutive Year

On June 18, Paris local time, international air transport rating organization SKYTRAX announced the winners of the 2019 SKYTRAX World Airline Awards. Hainan Airlines was named a SKYTRAX 5-Star Airline for the 9th consecutive year and ranked 7 among the Top 10 SKYTRAX carriers. It also received top position in Best Business Class Comfort Amenities, Best Airlines in China and Best Airline Staff in China categories. 

Hainan Airlines starts Chongqing - Rome route

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On December 19, Hainan Airlines announced the formal launch of service between Chongqing and Paris. The service is the third non-stop flight fly from Chongqing to Europe after Hainan Airlines' Chongqing-Rome. The airline will operate a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the new route with two round-trip flights per week. Hainan Airlines flight HU717, the inaugurate flight of the carrier's new Chongqing-Paris service, took off from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport at 1:30 am on December 19 Beijing time, and successfully landed at Zurich Airport the same day, at 6:20 am local time. Hainan Airlines spokesman said, "The non-stop Chongqing-Paris service will bring more convenience to passengers travelling on business and for leisure, further promoting the development of the economies, cultures and tourism of the two countries, while offering more opportunities for collaboration between companies in European countries and in China."

Up to now, Hainan Airlines has opened 17 European routes, covering Zurich, Vienna, Madrid, Brussels, Berlin, Edinburgh, Dublin, Prague, Manchester, Rome, London and Paris, forming a fast transit and intermodal flight network, providing a more convenient choice for traveler. The new service provides a brand new air bridge for passengers traveling between Europe and Oceania

--Hainan Airlines' Chongqing-Paris Flight Timetable:

Flight No.	Aircraft	Schedule	Departure City	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Arrival City
HU717	B787	Wednesday/Saturday	Chongqing	1:30 am	6:20 am	Paris
HU718	B787	Wednesday/Saturday	Paris	13:00 am	6:30 am +1	Chongqing

Note: Specific timetables can be confirmed on Hainan Airlines' official website.  .

Hainan Airlines to launch Xi'an-Los Angeles service on December 31st

                                       

Hainan Airlines plans to launch non-stop service between Xi'an and Los Angeles on December 31st this year. It will be the first scheduled service between Xi'an and Los Angeles and the only intercontinental route between Xi'an and the United States.

The Xi'an-Los Angeles service is scheduled to take off from Xi'an at 9:10 pm every Monday and Thursday BJT, and land at Los Angeles at 18:10 pm PT after being in the air for 12 hours and 10 minutes. The new route will be serviced by a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. All seats will be fully equipped with an exclusive entertainment on-demand system and passengers will be pampered with a menu of Asian and European delicacies representative of all four seasons. The use of portable electronic devices will be permitted on board during the entire length of the journey.

Two new Paris routes for Hainan Airlines........Starting next month the airline will fly from Chongqing and Shenzhen to the French capital

One of the fastest growing airlines in the Asia region,

Hainan Airlines has announced that it will begin nonstop services on routes Chongqing and Shenzhen to Paris, starting on the 19th and 21st December.

These two new services will be the second and third Hainan Airlines direct flight between mainland China and Paris and mark a major development for the airline. The Chongqing-Paris route will be operated on an Airbus A330 widebody aircraft scheduled for two round-trip flights per week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. While the airline will schedule a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the Shenzhen-Paris route with two round-trip flights each week, on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Hainan Airlines to launch Chongqing-Shanghai-Boston and Chongqing-Shanghai-Seattle service in December

One of the fastest growing airlines from China, Hainan Airlines recently announced it will be launching two new services between  Chongqing-Shanghai-Boston and Chongqing-Shanghai-Seattle as part of the carriers ongoing global expansion programme.

The two routes will start on December 11th and 12th respectively and will be operated on luxury wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. These aircraft are fitted out with the airlines spacious and comfortable cabins that feature reverse herringbone seating in business class, complete with BOSE noise reduction headphones and Bulgari toiletries. Every passenger can enjoy the exclusive on-demand entertainment system and of course, in typical Hainan style, every passenger will be served sumptuous offerings from both Western and Oriental cuisines.

Hainan Airlinea launch flights to Vienna from Shenzhen.

Hainan Airlines has announced today that it is launching flights between Shenzhen and Vienna, using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the new route.

The service starts tomorrow 20th October and will operate twice a week, and the non-stop service is yet another successful example of the growing cooperation between China and Austria this year. "The non-stop Shenzhen-Vienna service will not only make it more convenient for passengers in Guangzhou and Shenzhen who travel for business or leisure but also help promote economic cooperation and cultural exchanges between China and Austria," said a spokesperson for Hainan Airlines. "With the service, Vienna International Airport will have direct flights to 17 Asian cities, further complementing Vienna's international air route network and strengthening the airport's position as a gateway to Central and Eastern Europe."

Hainan Airlines has embarked on a period of growth in recent times with the introduction of a number of international routes from Shenzhen, Vienna becomes the 15th international and regional destination.  

Hainan Airlines' Shenzhen-Vienna Flight Timetable (All times are local):

Flight No.	Aircraft	Schedule	Departure City	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Arrival City
HU789	B787	Thursday/Saturday	Shenzhen	1:30 am	6:50 am	Vienna
HU790	B787	Thursday/Saturday	Vienna	10:45 am	0:50 am +1	Shenzhen

Hainan Airlines and Aigle Azur successfully complete their inaugural code-shared Paris - Beijing flight

On the 5th September, Flight HU8267/ZI887 took off from Paris Orly Airport at 1:45 pm Paris time, and touched down at Beijing Capital International Airport at 6:35 am on September 6 local time, marking the launch of the code-shared Paris-Beijing service operated by Hainan Airlines and Aigle Azur. The non-stop route will be serviced by an Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft six times a week (three times in each direction), including the Paris - Beijing flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the Beijing-Paris flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

The service is the second codeshare flight launched by Hainan Airlines and Aigle Azur following the roll-out of their shared Xi'an=Paris route. The new non-stop service provides passengers travelling between China and France with additional travel options.

Shenzhen - Zurich service starts for Hainan Airlines

Hainan Airlines has confirmed the launch of a new service between Shenzhen and Zurich, Switzerland today.

The airline will operate the service with a Dreamliner 787 aircraft from US manufacturer Boeing and will fly twice a week.  This is the first non-stop flight connecting China's Guangzhou-Shenzhen area with Switzerland, and is also the Hainan Airline's 7th intercontinental flight originating from Shenzhen. 

Hainan Airlines flight HU741, the inaugural flight took off from Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport at 1:20 am on August 27 Beijing time, and successfully landed at Zurich Airport the same day, at 7:55 am local time.  Hainan Airlines spokesman said, "The non-stop Shenzhen-Zurich service will bring more convenience to passengers travelling on business and for leisure, further promoting the development of the economies, cultures and tourism of the two countries, while offering more opportunities for collaboration between companies in European countries and in China."

Hainan Airlines signs deal with BBC for inflight content.

Hainan Airlines and BBC Global News today signed a major new deal at a special signing ceremony at the BBC's headquarters in London to celebrate their partnership.

Yufei Wang, Vice President, Branding, Hainan Airlines and Jim Egan, CEO, BBC Global News, spoke about the significance of this strategic commercial partnership which will see BBC StoryWorks, the award-winning content marketing division of BBC Global News, produce digital and video content for Hainan Airlines to mark the launch of its new route and the beauty of its destinations. 

Jim Egan said: "We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with such a prestigious Chinese brand as Hainan Airlines. We look forward to working closely with them, developing and delivering a range of creative content that will bring their brand and services to life for our global audience."

The Top Ten Airlines In The World - 2018

Skytrax held its 2018 World Airline Awards on Tuesday 17th July at The Langham Hotel, London and has published the results of a 10 month long survey period in which travellers from around the world rated airlines on a number of key areas. There were some surprises in the complete listings, for example British Airways didn't even make the top thirty and Ryanair being rated above United.

Here are the top ten 'World's Best Airlines' 

1.  Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines has long been one of the most respected travel brands around the world, therefore it is perhaps no surprise that it makes it to the top of the list in this years Skytrax awards. Singapore Airlines seems to be pleasing passengers with its impressive service, flying one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world to destinations spanning a network spread over six continents. Of course, the Singapore Girl is an internationally-recognisable icon providing the high standards of care and service that customers have come to expect of Singapore Airlines.

2.  Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has rapidly grown to serve more than 140 destinations worldwide, offering levels of service excellence that helped the award-winning carrier to become the best in the world. Qatar Airways network spans business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America. Qatar Airways is a member of oneworld global airline alliance. Despite recent difficulties with its near neighbours and sexist remarks from its CEO, the airline is still rated highly on all levels by its passengers.

read on for the next 8.

New A330-300 for Tianjin Airlines and Hainan Airlines

News from Haikou, China is that Hainan Airlines are all set to take delivery of an Airbus A330-300 aircraft by the end this month and is the 18th new A330-300 to join the carriers fleet.

This is the first new aircraft to be introduced by Hainan Airlines this year and is configured with 303 seats, there are 279 in the economy class cabin while 24 are positioned in the business class cabin. All the business class seats feature herringbone arrangement that allows passengers to enjoy lie-flat beds, increased privacy and direct aisle access.   All seats also include a USB slot, 110v power supply as well as an entertainment system. 

Sister airline, Tianjin Airlines is also getting its hands on a brand new A330-300 aircraft direct from Airbus at Toulouse today, which will initially serve the Tianjin to Tokyo and Osaka routes as well as planning flights from Tianjin, Xi'an, Chongqing to London, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland. 

HNA orders 20 COMAC ARJ21's

The HNA Group and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd known as COMAC have signed a deal for the airline group to buy 20 of COMAC's ARJ21 aircraft at Farnborough International Air Show and will be used by Urumqi Air. 

These new AJR21's are China's first turbofan regional jet developed in accordance with international airworthiness standards and excels in five major areas according to the manufacturers, including: product adaptability, passenger comfort and cost efficiencies, as well as universality of parts and materials not only across the model suite but also with other commonly built aircraft, all of which help the model meet the operational requirements of taking off and landing at the airports located across the western plateau of China, a region frequently beset by high temperatures, and surmounting obstacles on complex routes, making the aircraft an ideal choice for routes and airports in Western China.

Virgin Australia starts Sydney to Hong Kong route - plus new codeshare deals

There's a celebration going on down under, as Virgin Australia launched its inaugural flight between Sydney and Hong Kong, further expanding the airline’s international network and Greater China presence.

Virgin Australia Group CEO and Managing Director, John Borghetti A.O. said: “Today marks an important milestone for Virgin Australia as we launch our second route to Hong Kong, from Sydney.”

“Hong Kong is an important gateway to China, which is Australia’s most valuable and largest inbound tourism market. Through our Hong Kong services and world-class alliance partners, we’re able to capitalise on this growth, which has positive flow on effects to our domestic network and the Australian economy.

“Guests can now travel beyond Hong Kong to 17 destinations within China with Hong Kong Airlines and Hainan Airlines or to London via our codeshare partnership with Virgin Atlantic Airways.