_Logo.png){kind=logo} | |||||||
_of_Air_Travel_(B-8318)_at_CGO_01.jpg) Air TravelAirbus A321-211 departing fromZhengzhou | |||||||
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| Founded | 16 April 2014; 11 years ago (2014-04-16) (asHongtu Airlines)[1] | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | 21 May 2016; 9 years ago (2016-05-21) | ||||||
| Operating bases | |||||||
| Fleet size | 16 | ||||||
| Destinations | 7(August 2017) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Changsha,Hunan, China | ||||||
| Key people | Tang Longcheng, chairman | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
| Air Travel | |||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 湖南航空股份公司 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 湖南航空股份公司 | ||||||
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| Hongtu Airlines | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 紅土航空 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 红土航空 | ||||||
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Air Travel (Chinese: 湖南航空;Hunan Airlines) is a Chinese airline operating domestic flights from its hub atChangsha Huanghua International Airport inHunan Province. The airline launched operations in May 2016 asHongtu Airlines and rebranded its English name to "Air Travel" in 2018. The airline moved to Hunan fromYunnan in 2020.[2]
Air Travel, originally named Hongtu Airlines, received preliminary approval from theCivil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on 26 March 2015.[3] In October 2015, the airline's livery was revealed. The red color represents the famous red earth ofDongchuan District inYunnan Province; in fact,Hongtu in the airline's name, is a transliteration ofChinese:红土;lit. 'red soil'.[4]
On 22 December 2015, Hongtu Airlines took delivery of its first aircraft, anAirbus A321 originally destined forUTair Aviation.[5] The aircraft is namedDai after theDai people, an ethnic minority in Yunnan Province.[6] Hongtu Airlines held an inauguration ceremony on 20 May 2016 and began flights the following day,[7] with the inaugural flight operating between Kunming andNanchang.[8]
The airline underwent a branding change in 2018: its English name becameAir Travel,[9] whilst retaining the name红土航空; 'red soil airline' in Chinese. The company then changed its local name to Hunan Airlines (湖南航空公司) in 2021 following its move to Hunan Province, but retained the name 'Air Travel' in English.
Hongtu Airlines is headquartered nearChangsha Huanghua International Airport.[10] The airline is ajoint venture between Kunming Evergreen Financing (30%); local entrepreneur Tang Longcheng (20%); and five other companies, each holding 10%. The parties have invested a total ofCNY600 million (USD96.6 million) in the airline.[4][5]
As of December 2017, Hongtu Airlines flies to the following destinations in China:[11]
The Hongtu Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft as of September 2019:[citation needed]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y+ | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A319-100 | 3 | — | 8 | 6 | 120 | 134 | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 4 | — | 8 | 6 | 156 | 168 | [12] |
| Airbus A320neo | 7 | — | 8 | — | 162 | 170 | |
| Airbus A321-200 | 2 | — | 12 | — | 190 | 202 | |
| Total | 16 | — | |||||
