As World Routes returns to mainland China, Routesonline is providing a snapshot on the leading international airlines and international airports and most used aircraft types on international flights from the country and highlights the country's top performers during the first half of 2016.
Lucky Air is among the members of the HNA Group’s U-FLY low-cost alliance and its rise into the intercontinental market could represent the arrival of a new breed of Chinese low-cost, long-haul operations. The airline has requested rights from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to introduce flights from its Yunnan province base to both Los Angeles and Moscow.
According to Ding Shaoxiang, vice governor of Yunnan province government, the route successes of China Eastern Airlines linking Kunming to Paris Charles De Gaulle last year and Vancouver International Airport from this year should be followed by a new direct link to Australia in 2016 serving either Melbourne or Sydney.
In its nine years of operation as a HNA Aviation group subsidiary, Lucky Air has developed its network to cover more than 40 destinations across 21 Chinese provinces with a fleet of approaching 25 aircraft. It now serves 61 routes and handled 5.67 million passengers last year.
The Philippines is currently modernising and expanding its premier gateway and secondary airports to sustain its international market growth and improve the arrival and departure experience. Increased investment in these airports will drive international tourists and passengers to visit the Philippines.
The airline has already introduced a new cabin uniform, but will now extend this revised look to the livery on its fleet of aircraft, at the same time replacing its long-standing Bird logo with a new symbol highlighting its Chinese origin.
Vancouver will be the first North American destination to be linked to Kunming, one of China’s premier tourism regions and the new long-haul connection follows the successful introduction last year from Yunnan Province to Europe, via China Eastern to Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport.
The tall rock formations seem to make the stones look like petrified tress, hence the name the “Stone Forest”, with some of the limestone formations believed to be over 270 million years old.
Kunming Changshui International Airport is the gateway to the vibrant Yunnan Province. Tourism, spurred on by air route development, remains a key driver of economic growth in the region. It is a primary source of foreign earnings, creates jobs and stimulates inbound investment. It is estimated that just one new narrowbody service could generate some $4 million in aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue.
Taking place on 15 March and open to all attending delegates, The Strategy Summit will open the 13th Routes Asia event in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China hosted by Yunnan Airport Group Co., Ltd.
Yunnan is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, and is renowned for its modest weather all year round, numerous natural landscapes and scenery, and diverse ethnic groups.
Routes Asia forms the essential event for all aviation based companies who wish to conduct business to, from and within the region. The event is due to take place in Kunming Yunnan, China from the 15 – 17 March 2015.
Ahead of next year's Routes Asia forum we look in more detail at the continued growth of the Chinese market, and in particular aviation in Kunming and the Yunnan province, which will play host to the event between March 15 - 17, 2015.
According to reports in China, China Eastern Airlines is considering launching a three times weekly link to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport using an Airbus A330-300, significantly enhancing connectivity to Yunnan province in the far southwest of China.
