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Sichuan Airlines

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Sichuan Airlines
四川航空
Sìchuān Hángkōng
IATA ICAO Call sign
3U CSC SI CHUAN[1]
Founded19 September 1986; 38 years ago (1986-09-19)
Commenced operations14 July 1988; 36 years ago (1988-07-14)
Hubs
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer programGolden Panda
Subsidiaries
  • Chengdu Airlines
  • Sichuan Airlines Logistics (SAL)
  • Sichuan Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co., Ltd. (73.04%)
Fleet size161
Destinations94
Parent company
HeadquartersChengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Chengdu, Sichuan
Key peopleLi Haiying (Chairman)
Employeesmore than 6000
Websiteglobal.sichuanair.com
Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd.
Chinese四川航空股份有限公司
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinSìchuān hángkōng gǔfèn yǒuxiàn gōngsī
other Mandarin
Sichuanese PinyinSìcuān hángkōn gǔfèn yǒuxiàn gōnsī
Abbreviation
Chinese川航
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinChuān Háng
other Mandarin
Sichuanese PinyinCuān Háng

Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd. (Chinese: 四川航空) is a Chinese airline based in Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and is the largest airline in western China,[3] operating mainly scheduled domestic and international flights out of Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport and Kunming Changshui International Airport.

History

The airline was established on 19 September 1986 as Sichuan Airlines Company, its first flight was on 14 July 1988 between Chengdu and Wanzhou.

The airline was later restructured as Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd. on 29 August 2002, in which the Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd. Group became the major shareholder (40%). The other shareholders are China Southern Airlines (39%), China Eastern Airlines (10%), Air China Group (10%) and Chengdu Gingko Restaurant Co. (1%).[4][5]

Corporate affairs

Operations

Sichuan Airlines' corporate headquarters is located in its hub Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, Sichuan and its secondary hubs are at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport and Kunming Changshui International Airport.[4]

Subsidiary

Sichuan Airlines owns Chengdu Airlines as its subsidiary, which also has its hub at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Chengdu Airlines was formerly named as United Eagle Airlines, and was changed to Chengdu Airlines to help lift the image of Chengdu on behalf of the city's government, according to an anonymous official of Sichuan Airlines. In late 2009, Sichuan Airlines sold some of its share of Chengdu Airlines to aircraft manufacturer Comac and the Chengdu Communications Investment Group. Chengdu Airlines is planned to become the first operator of the Comac ARJ21.[6]

Branding

Sichuan Airlines' logo is a haiyan (海燕) that is soaring with high temperament, symbolizing the company's entrepreneurial spirit. The circle represents the earth and the four wave patterns represents a hundred rivers going into the sea and carrying back virtues, corresponding to the core values of Sichuan Airlines' "truthfulness, goodness, beauty, love", symbolizing that Sichuan Airlines takes off from the inland and connects the stability of land civilization and the outward development of marine civilization.[7]

In addition to the logo, Sichuan Airlines gives emphasis to the Chinese character "川" in which not only the character means river or a shortened name of Sichuan, but also that the character is defined as running through and gathering. It means that Sichuan Airlines is engaged in aviation flight and had built a world-class fleet that connects five continents, improving its network radiation capability and opening more international routes to build a bridge between Western China and the world and to integrate the world's corporate vision.[7]

Destinations

Main article: List of Sichuan Airlines destinations

Sichuan Airlines is operating mainly flights in East Asia. (Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beijing, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, Guangzhou, Lhasa, Kunming, Urumqi, Kathmandu, etc.)

Others destinations include Australia (Sydney, Melbourne), New Zealand (Auckland), Africa (Cairo), Western Asia (Dubai), Southeast Asia (Singapore, Bangkok), Europe (Prague, Tel Aviv, Zurich, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Rome) and North America (Vancouver, Los Angeles), etc.

The airline launched its first long-haul overseas route in June 2012 with flights from its Chengdu hub to Vancouver, Canada. Its second long-haul flight, from Chengdu to Melbourne, Australia, was launched in February 2013 with three weekly services. On 17 October 2016 the airline launched twice-a-week service from Chengdu via Hangzhou to Los Angeles (LAX).[8] In 2016, Sichuan Airlines started twice-a-week flights to its first European destination, Prague.[9] On June 23, 2018, Sichuan Airlines launched service from Chengdu to Zurich via Prague. It was the first fifth freedom flight for the airline. It was also the only airline operating this route with Airbus A330 wide body aircraft.[10]

Sichuan Airlines Lounge

Codeshare agreements

Sichuan Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[11]

Fleet

Current fleet

Sichuan Airlines’ hub Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport
Sichuan Airlines took delivery of their first Airbus A350 XWB in August 2018
Sichuan Airlines Airbus A320-232 (Chinese Dragon Livery)
The 100th Sichuan Airlines A321
The Sichuan Airlines Airbus A330 painted by "Wuliangye"
The Sichuan Airlines Airbus A330 painted by "Wuliangye" was docked at Lhasa Gonggar Airport (the aircraft also took the first flight to Vancouver, Melbourne).[12][13]
The Economy Class of Sichuan Airlines Airbus A330

As of December 2019, Sichuan Airlines operates an all-Airbus fleet consisting of the following aircraft:[14][15]

Sichuan Airlines Fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
J Y Total
Airbus A319-100 23 — 8 124 132
Airbus A320-200 53 9 8 142 150 B-6388 in Chinese Dragon livery
B-6719 in Yunnan livery
Airbus A320neo 7 17[16] 8 150 158[17]
Airbus A321-200 43 7 8 186 194 B-1663 in 100th Aircraft livery
Airbus A321neo 15 — 8 190 198
Airbus A330-200 6 — 36 209 245 One aircraft in panda livery
Airbus A330-300 7 — 36 265 301[18] B-5923 and B-5929 in Wuliangye livery
B-5945 in 2021 Summer Universiade livery
Airbus A350-900 4 10[19][20] 28 303 331 Two painted in "Panda" special liveries
Comac C919 — 20 TBA
Sichuan Airlines Cargo fleet
Airbus A330-200F 3 — Cargo Former Qatar Airways Cargo aircraft.[21]
Total 161 63

Former fleet

Sichuan Airlines Retired Fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A319-100 1 2010 2016
Airbus A320-200 13 1996 2019
Airbus A321-100 2 2003 2015
Airbus A321-200 4 1998 2018
Airbus A330-200 1 2012 2014
Antonov An-24 Un­known Un­known Un­known
Boeing 737-300 1 2000 2001
Embraer ERJ 145 5 2000 2011
Tupolev Tu-154 6 1992 2001 [22]
Xian MA60 Un­known Un­known Un­known

Golden Panda

The Golden Panda Club is a frequent-flyer program launched by Sichuan Airlines. It can accumulate every flight mileage and enjoy free tickets and other product rewards. When the mileage reaches a certain standard, it can be upgraded to a VIP member and enjoy free upgrades. Free first class lounge waiting, free baggage allowance and other value-added services.[23]

Accidents and incidents

On 24 January 2003, Sichuan Airlines Flight 434, an Embraer EMB-145 from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, one man attempted to hijack the airplane and ignited home-made explosives, which injured a passenger and also himself. He was subdued by a security officer.[24]

On 14 May 2018, Sichuan Airlines Flight 8633, an Airbus A319 from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport to Lhasa Gonggar Airport, diverted to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport after a windshield on the copilot's side of the cockpit blew off, intrinsically similar to the 1990 British Airways Flight 5390 Incident, resulting in a loss of a part of the flight control panel. The flight crew made a difficult landing with decompression failure and extremely low temperature. The copilot and a flight attendant were reported injured.[25][26][27] Later the incident was adapted into the film "The Captain (2019 film)".

See also

References

  1. ^ "7340.2F with Change 1 and Change 2 and Change 3" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 15 September 2016. pp. 3–1–86. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  2. ^ "China Sichuan Airlines". Travel China Guide. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  3. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 30 March - 5 April 2004. 67. "Cheng Du Shuang Liu International Airport, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610202, China"
  4. ^ a b "Sichuan Airlines, China: Brief Introduction, Hub, Aircraft Type". www.travelchinaguide.com. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  5. ^ 四川航空简介_四川航空股份有限公司简介-四川航空官网 (in Chinese (China)). Sichuan Air. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  6. ^ "China's United Eagle renamed Chengdu Airlines". Flightglobal.com. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  7. ^ a b 川航标志介绍_四川航空品牌介绍-四川航空官网 (in Chinese (China)). Sichuan Airlines. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Sichuan Airlines launches first US service". anna.aero. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Sichuan Airlines Launches Non-stop10-hour Service between Chengdu and Prague". www.gochengdu.cn. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  10. ^ "Sichuan Airlines adds Swiss service to Zurich, a route flown via Prague". anna.aero. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Profile on Sichuan Airlines". CAPA. Centre for Aviation. Archived from the original on 2 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  12. ^ 成都首航温哥华 只需14小时(图) (in Chinese (China)). Sohu. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  13. ^ 川航成都-墨尔本航线首航 "五粮液号"执飞 (in Chinese (China)). 中国航空新闻网. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "Sichuan Airlines fleet". Plane Spotters. April 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World. October 2019: 11.
  16. ^ "Sichuan Airlines Becomes First Chinese Airline to Directly Order PurePower® Engines". Pratt & Whitney. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  17. ^ "China's Sichuan Airlines adds maiden A320neo". ch-aviation. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  18. ^ 图片 首架A330-300加盟 川航A330飞机增至5架_民航新闻_民航资源网. cdn.carnoc.com (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  19. ^ "Sichuan Airlines orders Airbus A350s". traveldailymedia. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  20. ^ "China's Sichuan Airlines orders ten A350-900s". ch-aviation.com. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  21. ^ "Qatar Airways sheds first A330-200F". Cargofacts. 3 January 2019.
  22. ^ "Sichuan Airlines Fleet of Tupolev Tu-154". rzjets.net. Retrieved 2 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ "Service Guide of SCAL Golden Panda Club Member". global.sichuanair.com. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  24. ^ "Sichuan Airlines Flight 434". Aviation Safely Network (ASN). 24 January 2003. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  25. ^ Editorial, Reuters. "Sichuan Airlines jet makes emergency landing after cockpit..." U.S. Retrieved 14 May 2018. {{cite news}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  26. ^ "BREAKING: Sichuan Airlines Airbus A319 Loses Windscreen; Crew Injuries Reported | TheAvgeek". TheAvgeek. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  27. ^ "South China Morning Post: Sichuan Airlines pilots recall moment cockpit window blew out in mid-air". Retrieved 27 May 2018.

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