Kunming Airlines
Kunming Airlines (昆明航空公司) is an airline based in Kunming, Yunnan, China established in 2005. On February 15, 2009, Kunming airlines, a Chinese airline mainly specializing in flights within Yunnan province, officially began to operate. It is also linked to other regions in China and several international destinations. Kunming airlines takes Kunming Changshui international airport as its base airport. By February 2019, Kunming airlines had 38 domestic routes and 4 international flights.
Routes and Flights of Kunming Airlines
History
In November 2005 it was reported that Sichuan Airlines Group would invest US$4 million to acquire a 40% stake in Kunming Airlines, which would operate passenger and cargo services. Pilots would be provided by Sichuan Airlines and private investors Wang Qingmin and Wang Hui would invest in the remaining 40 and 20% shares respectively.
In December 2005 the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said it would soon approve operation of the private airline Kunming Airlines, which has a registered capital of RMB80 million, and plans to be based at Kunming Wujiaba International Airport.
As of January 2009, Kunming Airlines is 80 percent owned by Shenzhen Airlines with the remaining 20% owned by a local businessman, with a total registered capital of RMB 80 million. The new airline will receive two B737-700 and one B737-800aircraft as well as 30 pilots and 26 flight attendants from Shenzhen Airlines.
The airline commenced operations on 15 February 2009 from Kunming to Changsha and Harbin.
2008 strategic plan
As of November 2008, Kunming Airlines had a 15-year strategic plan called the ‘3-5-7 Plan’, which has three stages.
- 2008-2010: Assemble a fleet of 30-40 planes and establish an extensive flight network throughout Yunnan. And establish routes to all provincial capitals and developed cities mainly on the east coast. Connecting these cities with top Southeast Asian destinations.
- 2010-2015: Upgrade fleet to 80-100 planes. Establish hubs in Xi’an and Guangzhou while boosting its trunk and branch routes.
- 2015-2022: Expand fleet to 150-200 planes. Establish hubs in Tianjin and Hangzhou. Focus on increasing international reach.
Fleet
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| Boeing 737-700 | 9 | — | – | 140 | 140 | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 16 | — | 8 | 159 | 167 | |
| 160 | 168 | |||||
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 2 | 8 | TBA | Grounded and delivery suspended indefinitely due to Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 incident. | ||
| Total | 27 | 8 | ||||
In 2014 Kunming Airlines agreed to purchase 10 Boeing 737 aircraft (4 Boeing 737-700 Next Gen and 6 Boeing 737 MAX) in an $897m deal.
