Hainan Airlines touches down with non-stop Seattle-Beijing service
18 June 2008
[photopress:Haiina_Airlines.jpg,full,alignright] Hainan Airlines got what was referred to as a 'traditional water-salute' greeting at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a tribute to the carrier's inaugural nonstop flight between Beijing and Seattle. (How long does something have to happen to become traditional? Watering down arriving aircraft can’t have been going on that long.) The airline, the largest Chinese carrier not owned by the government, will operate the flight four times a week.[photopress:Hainan_Airlines_Chairman_Chen_Feng.jpg,full,alignleft] Hainan Airlines Chairman Chen Feng, shown here, said: ‘Hainan is Singapore Air and Lufthansa in China, and not American, United and Northwest.’ At the same time Hainan Airlines is joining with the Yunnan local government in southwestern China to launch Yunnan Airline, which will be comprised mainly of the assets of Lucky Air, an HNA subsidiary launched in 2006 that apparently will cease to exist possibly because it did not live up to its name. Lucky Air's six 737-700s will be operated by the new Yunnan Airline, which will aim to expand to a fleet of more than 30 aircraft within three years.
Source: The Seattle Times and ATW News.
