China United Airlines Explained

Airline:	China United Airlines
Fleet Size:	57
Destinations:	87^[1]
Iata:	KN
Icao:	CUA
Callsign:	LIANHANG
Parent:	China Eastern Airlines
Headquarters:	Beijing Daxing International Airport, Daxing, Beijing

China United Airlines (CUA) is a low-cost airline^[2] and a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines. It is headquartered at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing.

In 2019, the painted aircraft of China United Airlines won Top 1 at the World Classic Aircraft Award.

History

China United Airlines was established in 1986 as an arm of the civil transport division of the People's Liberation Army Air Force. In November 2002, all scheduled services were ceased, followed by a full suspension of flight operations in 2003 due to a Chinese governmental regulation prohibiting the Army from being directly involved in commercial activities. On June 4, 2005, the Civil Aviation Administration of China approved the relaunch of the airline, now with Shanghai Airlines holding 80 percent of the stake, as well as China Aviation Supplies Holding Company as a secondary shareholder. Even though China United Airlines has since then lost its military status, it is uniquely still permitted to use military air bases as destinations, in contrast to other Chinese airlines and other airlines in general.

In 2000, China United Airlines spent US$120 million to buy a Boeing 767-300ER, which was previously ordered by Delta Air Lines, as Jiang Zemin's private jet. Several days before its first flight, covert listening devices were found installed in the toilet, corridor, and even in Jiang's headboard. The devices were believed to be controlled and monitored by satellite. The Central Intelligence Agency, the United States Embassy in China, and China United Airlines refused to comment on this incident.^{[3] [4]} The specific aircraft was sold to Air China, and later to the Sunday Airlines of Kazakhstan.

China United Airlines was acquired by China Eastern Airlines in October 2010.^[5]

With the opening of the Beijing Daxing International Airport on 26 September 2019, China United Airlines began service at the new airport as its main hub and ceased service from Beijing Nanyuan Airport, which was its main operating base for 35 years.^{[6] [7]}

Corporate

The headquarters is on the grounds of Beijing Daxing International Airport in Daxing, Beijing.^[8] Previously the headquarters were in Fengtai.^{[9] [10]} The customer service center is in Xinhua, Shijiazhuang, Hebei.^[11]

Destinations

Country	City	Airport	Notes	Refs
China (Anhui)	Fuyang	Fuyang Airport
	Hefei	Hefei Xinqiao International Airport
China (Beijing)	Beijing	Beijing Daxing International Airport
China (Fujian)	Fuzhou	Fuzhou Changle International Airport
	Longyan	Longyan Guanzhishan Airport
China (Guangdong)	Foshan	Foshan Shadi Airport
	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
	Jieyang	Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport
	Shenzhen	Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport
	Zhanjiang	Zhanjiang Wuchuan Airport
China (Hainan)	Sanya	Sanya Fenghuang International Airport
China (Henan)	Nanyang	Nanyang Jiangying Airport
China (Hunan)	Changsha	Changsha Huanghua International Airport
China (Inner Mongolia)	Baotou	Baotou Airport
	Hailar	Hailar Dongshan Airport
	Hohhot	Hohhot Baita International Airport
	Ordos	Ordos Ejin Horo International Airport
China (Jiangsu)	Lianyungang	Lianyungang Baitabu Airport
	Nanjing	Nanjing Lukou International Airport
	Wuxi	Sunan Shuofang International Airport
China (Jiangxi)	Ganzhou	Ganzhou Airport
China (Shaanxi)	Yulin	Yulin Airport
China (Shandong)	Linyi	Linyi Qiyang International Airport
China (Shanghai)	Shanghai	Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
		Shanghai Pudong International Airport
China (Sichuan)	Chengdu	Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
China (Xinjiang)	Ürümqi	Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport
China (Zhejiang)	Hangzhou	Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
	Quzhou	Quzhou Airport
Japan	Fukuoka	Fukuoka Airport
	Shizuoka	Shizuoka Airport
Russia	Vladivostok	Vladivostok International Airport		^[12]
South Korea	Cheongju	Cheongju International Airport		^[13]
	Jeju	Jeju International Airport
	Muan	Muan International Airport
	Seoul	Incheon International Airport

Fleet

, China United Airlines operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet composed of the following aircraft:^[14]

China United Airlines fleet! Aircraft! In service! Orders! Passengers! Notes

Boeing 737-700	5	-	144
Boeing 737-800	52	-	186
Total	57	-

The airline previously operated the following aircraft:

China United Airlines retired fleet

Aircraft	Total	Introduced	Retired	Notes
Airbus A319-100	3	2012	2015	Transferred to People's Liberation Army Air Force.
Hawker Siddeley Trident	10	1986	1993
Tupolev Tu-154M	11	1986	2011	Transferred to People's Liberation Army Air Force.

Special liveries

China United Airlines has a total of 7 special livery aircraft in service, all of which are named after cities in China:

• B-5448 (Boeing 737-800) – named and decorated after Huangguoshu Waterfall, Anshun, Guizhou^[15]
• B-5665 (Boeing 737-800) – named and decorated after Baotou, Inner Mongolia^[16]
• B-5470 (Boeing 737-800) – named and decorated after Rizhao, Shandong^[17]
• B-7561 (Boeing 737-800) – named and decorated after Xingyi, Guizhou^[18]
• B-5471 (Boeing 737-800) – named and decorated after Qingyang, Gansu^[19]
• B-1750 (Boeing 737-800) – named and decorated after Lianyungang, Jiangsu^[20]
• B-7371 (Boeing 737-800) – named and decorated after Wuhu, Anhui

External links

• Official website
  • English about page /

Notes and References

1. Web site: China United Airlines on ch-aviation.com . ch-aviation.com . 21 November 2023.
2. Web site: China Eastern Airlines turns Beijing unit into budget carrier. Yahoo News Singapore. 2 July 2014. 2 July 2014.
3. News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/chinese/news/newsid_1769000/17695261.stm . zh-Hans . zh:BBC:江泽民专机险遭窃听 . BBC Chinese. 19 January 2002 .
4. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1382116/China-finds-spy-bugs-in-Jiangs-Boeing-jet.html China finds spy bugs in Jiang's Boeing jet by Damien McElroy and David Wastell; The Daily Telegraph
5. Web site: http://info.flycua.com/jcms/publish/newb2c/aboutus_newb2c/ . zh:关于联航 . About United Airlines . zh . China United Airlines . 15 December 2019.
6. Web site: https://m.weibo.cn/1735488854/4420360080441879 . zh-cn . zh:中国联合航空将于2019年9月26日整体搬迁至北京大兴国际机场运行。原北京南苑机场始发及到达的所有航班均改至北京大兴国际机场。已购买2019年9月26日（含）以后客票的旅客，将在北京大兴国际机场出发或到达。请您仔细查看出行日期，以免影响您的行程。. China United Airlines.
7. News: zh-cn . zh:再见百年南苑，南苑机场正式结束民航运营. https://www.guancha.cn/politics/2019_09_25_519276.shtml. 2019-09-25. 2019-09-25.
8. Web site: 联系我们. China United Airlines. 2022-03-29. 办公地址：北京市大兴区大兴国际机场东航基地A2.
9. Web site: http://www.cu-air.com/detail.aspx?id=9 . zh:联系我们 . China United Airlines . October 12, 2012 . "Chinese: 北京市丰台区警备东路６号西区一号院" . https://web.archive.org/web/20121014080553/http://www.cu-air.com/detail.aspx?id=9 . October 14, 2012 . dead .
10. "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 1–7 April 1998. 57. "No 14 Xisanhuan Nanlu, Beijing, 100073, China" (making it Chinese: 西三环南路14号)
11. Web site: 客户服务热线. China United Airlines. 2022-03-29. 通信地址 河北省石家庄市新华区友谊北大街369号 中联航客户服务中心（收）邮编：050061.
12. News: Liu . Jim . China United Begins Beijing – Vladivostok Service From June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . AeroRoutes . 13 June 2024 . en-CA.
13. Web site: CHINA UNITED ADDS INTERNATIONAL SERVICE FROM ORDOS IN LATE-2Q24 . Aeroroutes. 28 May 2024.
14. Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One) . Airliner World . October 2019 . 11.
15. News: http://news.youth.cn/jsxw/201510/t20151001_7173531.htm. zh-cn. zh:首架国画涂装“安顺黄果树号”航班首航. Xinhua News Agency. 2015-10-01. 2019-10-11. 2019-10-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20191011014849/http://news.youth.cn/jsxw/201510/t20151001_7173531.htm. dead.
16. Web site: http://news.163.com/air/photoview/56NT0001/2208546.html?from=tj_xytj#p=C4J2HJ4756NT0001 . zh-cn . zh:中联航包头号亮相系全球首架唐艺屏风画涂装. NetEase Aviation. 2016-10-29. 2019-10-11.
17. Web site: http://news.carnoc.com/list/421/421348.html . zh-cn . zh:中国联航“日照号”亮相 被赞彩绘飞机“扛把子”. Civil Aviation Resource Net of China. 2017-10-12. 2019-10-11.
18. Web site: http://news.carnoc.com/list/456/456445.html . zh-cn . zh:中联航“兴义号”城市主题彩绘机揭开面纱. Civil Aviation Resource Net of China. 2018-07-31. 2019-10-11.
19. Web site: http://www.caacnews.com.cn/1/6/201902/t20190215_1267216.html . zh-cn . zh:东航云南机务喷涂中联航“庆阳号”获2019全球经典彩绘飞机十强榜魁. CAAC News. 2019-02-15. 2019-10-11.
20. Web site: http://news.jstv.com/a/20190908/1567918348346.shtml . zh-cn . zh:腾云驾雾！刚刚，全球首架西游主题彩绘客机“连云港号”首航！. Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation. 2019-09-08. 2019-10-11.