Air Changan () is a Chinese domestic
airline
An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in wh ...
. Its main operating base is
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is the main airport serving Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, as well as the whole Guanzhong area. Covering an area of , it is the largest airport in Northwest China, and the second largest airport in Northern Chi ...
, serving several cities in
Shaanxi Province
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), Ni ...
. Initially an independent carrier, Air Changan merged with
Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd. (HNA, ) is an airline headquartered in Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China. The airline is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax. It is the largest civilian-run and majority state-owned air transport company, ...
in 2000 and was later absorbed into that airline. Air Changan resumed service as an independent airline in May 2016, providing flights to four Chinese cities with three
Boeing 737-800
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...
aircraft.
History
In order to develop the local economy and aviation industry, in September 1990, the Shaanxi provincial government and local aircraft manufacturers began planning for a local airline, to operate with three
Xian Y-7
The Xian Y-7 () is a twin turboprop transport/passenger aircraft built in China. It is based on the Soviet-designed Antonov An-24 series.
Development
China imported the Antonov An-24 from early in its production run and also negotiated licenses ...
aircraft. On 2 March 1992, the provincial government named the airline as ''Air Changan''. On 11 April 1992, Air Changan was formally founded, merging Dapeng Airlines in to the new entity. On 5 January 1993, the first flight of Air Changan operated, from Xi'an to Yulin. Then was transfer to be operated by the provincial government only, after the aircraft manufacturers left the venture due to new regulations coming into effect.
On 30 August 2000, Air Changan was purchased by
Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd. (HNA, ) is an airline headquartered in Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China. The airline is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax. It is the largest civilian-run and majority state-owned air transport company, ...
(HNA) and renamed Chang An Airlines. On 1 July 2002, the first
Boeing 737-400
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
was put into operation. In October 2002, Chang An Airlines, Xinhua Airlines and Shanxi Airlines were merged into Hainan Airlines.
In December 2015, HNA Group began talks with the Shaanxi provincial government regarding the restoration of Chang An Airlines as an independent carrier. The airline would return to its original focus of flights within and out of
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...
Province. The airline rebranded as its original name and unveiled its own livery.
After receiving its
air operator certificate
An air operator's certificate (AOC) is the approval granted by a civil aviation authority (CAA) to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets, and system in plac ...
in April 2016,
Air Changan resumed operations as an independent airline the following month on 9 May. The inaugural flight was from Xi'an to
Zhuhai
Zhuhai (, ; Yale: ''Jyūhói''), also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, on the southeastern edge of Pear ...
. During the customary
water salute
A water salute occurs for ceremonial purposes when a vehicle travels under plumes of water expelled by one or more fire fighting vehicles.
At an airport, typically an even number of vehicles will line up perpendicularly on the sides of the ...
upon arrival in Zhuhai, the fire engines accidentally sprayed
foam
Foams are materials formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid.
A bath sponge and the head on a glass of beer are examples of foams. In most foams, the volume of gas is large, with thin films of liquid or solid separating the ...
instead. As a result, the aircraft had to undergo a safety check, and the return flight was cancelled.
Corporate affairs
Hainan Airlines holds an 83.3% stake in the airline, up 21.9% following a 1.01 billion yuan share purchase in September 2015.
Destinations
People's Republic of China
Fleet
Current fleet
As of December 2022, Air Changan operates the following aircraft:
Previously operated
Air Changan previously operated the following aircraft:
*
Airbus A319
The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of . Final assem ...
*
Boeing 737-400
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
*
Boeing 737-700
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Bombardier Dash 8 Q400
The De Havilland Canada DHC-8, commonly known as the Dash 8, is a series of turboprop-powered regional airliners, introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984. DHC was later bought by Boeing in 1988, then by Bombardier in 1992; then by ...
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Embraer 190
The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of four-abreast narrow-body short- to medium-range twin-engine jet airliners designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer.
The E-Jet was designed as a complement to the preceding ...
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Fairchild-Dornier 328-300
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Xian MA60
The Xian MA60 (新舟60, ''Xīnzhōu liùshí'', "Modern Ark 60") is a turboprop-powered airliner produced by China's Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The MA60 is a stretched versio ...
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Xian Y-7
The Xian Y-7 () is a twin turboprop transport/passenger aircraft built in China. It is based on the Soviet-designed Antonov An-24 series.
Development
China imported the Antonov An-24 from early in its production run and also negotiated licenses ...
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Airlines established in 1992
Companies based in Xi'an
HNA Group
Airlines of China
Chinese companies established in 1992