Air China unveiled its subsidiary airline, Dalian Airlines, which is set to begin scheduled services later this year.
The new carrier is the result of a partnership between Air China and the Dalian government: CA owns 80 percent of the stakes while the Dalian Baishui Zhengtong company – representing the Dalian government – owns the remaining 20 percent. it will initially operate domestic routes between Dalian and Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen using three Boeing B737-800 aircraft, with plans to expand its fleet and launch international routes to Japan and South Korea from next year.
The only other of the “big three” airlines in the country with a subsidiary offshoot is China Eastern Airlines, which owns Shanghai Airlines.
But this fledgling subsidiary of Air China is likely to face competition at home, particularly from China Southern Airlines, which sees the thriving northeastern port of Dalian as one of its focus cities and already has several direct flights linking it with major hubs across the nation.
Nevertheless, the forming of the new carrier is a clear reflection of growing demand for both domestic and international travel across China's primary and second-tier cities. According to IATA, China is the world's second largest domestic aviation market after the US.
Dalian Airlines does not have its own website yet; for more information, visit www.airchina.com
Alisha Haridasani
