Thirty-five years ago, Hainan Airlines
, originally Hainan Province Airlines, was formed by the Chinese Land Economic Corporation with the help of the Civil Aviation Administration of China ( CAAC
). The airline was established in Hainan, the People’s Republic of China’s smallest and most southern province. Today, the airline and its subsidiaries operate nearly 1,800 domestic and international routes.

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The carrier has served North America since 2008.

In 1993, the airline became China’s first joint-stock air transport company. Most of its initial funding came from institutional shareholders; the Hainan government financed about 5.33%, and the corporate staff 20%. The new airline was the first joint-stock company in China. Other airlines were owned by the central or regional government. For the first time, founders, top executives, and foreign investors could own shares.

In 1996, the provincial airline gained the name we know today: Hainan Airlines. Since 1995, American Aviation LLC has been a significant shareholder of the airline. In 1998, Hainan Airlines became the first Chinese carrier to own shares in an airport after it purchased a 25% stake in Haikou Meilan International Airport.

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Photo: Haikou Meilan International Airport

Meilan Airport is one of the most prominent airports in China. Last year, it secured the 18th position in terms of traffic, with over 24 million travelers. Additionally, the airport transported over 312 thousand tons of cargo and mail in 2023.

HNA Group and Hainan Airlines

HNA Group started with Hainan Airlines, which grew during the 1990s. Hainan Airlines has also actively focused on building a world-class airline network. Since then, the airline and its subsidiaries have established operational bases and branches in 24 cities, including Haikou, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

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Photo: Centre for Aviation

Since then, the Chinese conglomerate has grown, owning stakes in diverse organizations such as the Hilton Hotel chain, Deutsche Bank, Swissport, airport caterer Gategroup, and a collection of airlines both within and outside of China.

HNA Group is a global Fortune 500 company focused on tourism, logistics, and financial services. Its tourism business includes aviation, hotels, and travel services. HNA invests in and operates 3,200 hotels and 1,250 aircraft carrying 100 million passengers to 270 cities worldwide.

Hainan Airlines today

Today, the airline and its subsidiaries operate nearly 1,800 domestic and international routes. With over 1,500 domestic routes to all provinces and regions under the central government in the Chinese mainland, Hainan Airlines travels to 100 international routes to 37 overseas cities in Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and Oceania. The airline operates passenger flights, passenger charter flights, and passenger-to-cargo flights.

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Photo: Mike Fuchslocher | Shutterstock

Hainan Airlines is the fourth-largest airline in China, smaller than the big three state-controlled carriers. Its fleet has over 270 aircraft, and it owns at least five other Chinese airlines.

“Hainan Airlines is committed to providing passengers with comprehensive and seamless airline services and creating a safe and comfortable travel experience.”

For 31 years, the airline has operated safely and maintains an excellent operational record. In February, the CAAC celebrated Hainan Airlines for achieving 10 million consecutive hours of safe flight with the “One Star Flight Safety Diamond Award.”

Hainan Airlines is the first and only SKYTRAX 5-Star airline in the Chinese Mainland. It has been awarded the SKYTRAX 5-Star Airline since 2011.

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“This honor is Hainan Airlines’ highest level of recognition for our outstanding service and also represents praise from the passengers for our high-quality services,” said Hainan Airlines

Hainan Airlines fleet

In the early years, Hainan Province Airlines began operating using B737-33As leased from Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services. By 1998, Hainan Airlines financed the purchase of the 737-800, making it the first airline in China to operate the new aircraft.

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Photo: atdb.aero

Today, the airline has nearly 300 active aircraft in its fleet.

Manufacturer

Variant

Boeing

787-8

787-9

737-800

737 MAX 8

Airbus

A330-200

A330-300

A320neo

Their flights offer business, premium economy, and economy class with inflight meals and entertainment.

Last year, Hainan Airlines Group announced a deal for 100 aircraft from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, COMAC
. The order includes 60 C919 narrowbody aircraft and 40 ARJ21 regional jets. The aircraft will be added to the group’s subsidiary fleets of Urumqi Air and Suparna Airlines.

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History of Hainan Province

Hainan, which translates to “south of the sea,” comprises several islands in the South China Sea. Around 97% of the province consists of the island of Hainan, China’s largest and most populous island.

Nearly 200 islands spread across three archipelagos, Zhongsha, Xisha, and Nansha, belong to the Hainan province, with a total land size of 33,920 square kilometers. Only 70 square kilometers are outside of Hainan Island. From 1950 to 1988, the area was a part of Guangdong province, then became the largest Special Economic Zone as part of the Chinese economic reform program.

Today, Hainan stands out among Chinese provinces for having the largest share of its economy in agriculture. Due to its extensive coastline, the island’s economy largely depends on fishing. This makes it a great place for harvesting shrimp, shellfish, and other seafood, with Sanya and Qinglan being key fishing ports in Hainan.

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Photo: Melnikov Dmitriy | Shutterstock

In addition, Hainan is known for its tropical crops, such as coconuts, pepper, coffee, tea, and rubber. It’s also the leading area for growing tropical fruit seeds in China, such as pineapples, lychees, longans, and bananas. Furthermore, Hainan is an important center for making herbal medicines.

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