Hainan Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hainan Airlines
海南航空公司

Founded	1989; 36 years ago (1989)
Hubs	Beijing–Capital Haikou Xi'an Shenzhen
Focus cities	Changsha Chongqing Guangzhou Lanzhou Sanya Taiyuan Ürümqi
Frequent-flyer program	Fortune Wings Club
Subsidiaries	Air Changan (83.03%) Beijing Capital Airlines (70%) Fuzhou Airlines (60%) Grand China Air Lucky Air (86.68%) Tianjin Airlines Urumqi Air (70%)
Fleet size	214
Destinations	104
Parent company	Fangda Group
Headquarters	No. 7 Guoxing Avenue, Meilan, Haikou, Hainan, China
Key people	Chen Feng (Chairman)

Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd. (HNA) is a major airline based in Haikou, Hainan, China. It is one of the largest airlines in China and Asia. Hainan Airlines flies to many places both inside China and around the world. It offers regular flights on over 500 routes. The airline's main base is Haikou Meilan International Airport. It also has important hubs in Beijing Capital International Airport and Xi'an Xianyang International Airport.

History of Hainan Airlines

How the Airline Started

Hainan Airlines began in October 1989. It was first called Hainan Province Airlines. It was set up in Hainan, which is a special economic zone in China. In 1993, it became China's first "joint-stock" airline. This means many different people and groups owned parts of the company. Flights started on May 2, 1993. The Hainan government and the company's staff helped pay for it at the start. In 1996, the airline changed its name to Hainan Airlines.

In 1995, an American company, American Aviation LLC, became a big owner of the airline. Hainan Airlines also started flying private jets in 1995. By 1998, it became the first Chinese airline to own a part of an airport. It bought 25% of Haikou Meilan International Airport.

Growing Over the Years

A now retired Hainan Airlines Boeing 737-300 wearing the airline's former livery

In 2000, a new group called HNA Group was formed. It became a major owner of Hainan Airlines. This group also controlled other airlines like Shanxi Airlines. By 2003, Hainan Airlines grew to be the fourth largest airline in China.

Over the years, Hainan Airlines ordered many new airplanes. These included Boeing 787s, Boeing 737s, and Airbus A330s. They also ordered smaller planes like Embraer E-Jets. These new planes helped the airline fly to more places. In 2015, Hainan Airlines decided to buy 30 more Boeing 787-9s. They will also be one of the first airlines to use the new Chinese-made Comac C919 planes.

Recent Changes

In 2021, the company that owned Hainan Airlines, HNA Group, faced financial problems. Because of this, a court ordered the group to reorganize. A new company called Liaoning Fangda Group Industrial stepped in to invest in and help manage Hainan Airlines. This helped the airline continue its operations.

About the Company

Main Offices

HNA Building, headquarters in Haikou

Hainan Airlines has its main office in the HNA Building in Haikou, Hainan. They also have other offices in big cities like Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangzhou.

Who Owns the Airline?

As of 2016, the Hainan government owned a large part of Hainan Airlines. This was done through a company called Grand China Air Holding Company. Other companies and groups also owned parts of the airline.

Where Hainan Airlines Flies

Hainan Airlines has seven main bases in China. These include Beijing–Capital, Guangzhou, and Haikou. The airline has a large network of flights across China. It also connects Asia with Europe, North America, and Oceania. Hainan Airlines flies to almost 500 routes and over 90 cities.

The airline flies to many international cities. For example, it has flights from Beijing to places like Toronto, Berlin, Brussels, Seattle, and Chicago. It also flies to cities in Australia and Europe. In 2014, Hainan Airlines started the first direct flight between Boston and China. In 2016, they began flights to Manchester, United Kingdom, and Calgary, Canada. More recently, they added flights to places like Tel Aviv, Brisbane, Belgrade, London Heathrow, Dublin, and Edinburgh.

Sharing Flights with Other Airlines

Hainan Airlines works with other airlines through "codeshare agreements." This means they can sell seats on each other's flights. It helps passengers travel to more places easily. Here are some of the airlines Hainan Airlines has codeshare agreements with:

Hainan Airlines Fleet

A "fleet" is the collection of all the airplanes an airline owns and uses.

Current Airplanes

Hainan Airlines Airbus A330-300

Hainan Airlines Boeing 737-800

Hainan Airlines Boeing 787-8

As of June 2023, Hainan Airlines has these airplanes:

Airplanes Used in the Past

Hainan Airlines has used these types of airplanes before:

Inside the Airplane (Cabin)

Hainan Airlines offers different types of seating for passengers.

Business Class

Hainan Airlines business class on an Airbus A330 aircraft.

Business Class is available on all Hainan Airlines planes. The seats are very comfortable and can often recline (lie back) completely to become a flat bed. This is great for long flights! Passengers usually have a large screen for movies and games. Some planes have seats arranged so everyone has direct access to the aisle.

Premium Economy

Premium Economy is a step up from regular Economy Class. It's only on some newer Boeing 787-9 planes. These seats offer more legroom and can recline more than Economy seats. They also have a personal screen for entertainment and a USB port to charge devices. These seats are in their own special section of the plane.

Economy Class

Economy class on a Hainan Airlines Airbus A330 aircraft.

Economy Class is the standard seating on all Hainan Airlines planes. For longer flights, these seats have enough space for your legs. Many newer planes also have personal entertainment screens and USB ports for charging.

Services for Passengers

Airport Lounges

Hainan Airlines has its own special lounges at some airports. These are comfortable waiting areas for passengers, often with food and drinks. They are located at main airports like Beijing, Haikou, and Xi'an.

Frequent-Flyer Program

Hainan Airlines has a program for people who fly often, called Fortune Wings Club. When you fly with Hainan Airlines or its partner airlines, you earn "miles" or points. You can use these points for free flights or upgrades. The more you fly, the higher your membership level can be. Higher levels give you extra benefits like special check-in or more baggage allowance.

Awards and Recognition

Hainan Airlines is known for its high quality. It is one of only ten airlines in the world to be rated "five-star" by Skytrax. Skytrax is a company that reviews airlines. In 2019, Hainan Airlines was ranked among the top 10 airlines worldwide. They also won awards for being the "Best Airline in China" and for having the "Best Business Class Amenities."

See also

In Spanish: Hainan Airlines para niños

• Transport in China