China Northern Airlines

China Northern Airlines

Company type	Airline
Industry	Aviation
Predecessor	CAAC (division)
Founded	June 16, 1990 (1990-06-16)
Defunct	2004 (2004)
Fate	Merged into China Southern Airlines
Headquarters	Shenyang , People's Republic of China
Area served	Domestic China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia
Products	Passenger and cargo air transport

China Northern Airlines () was an airline headquartered at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport, located in Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China. Founded on June 16, 1990, it ranked among the six principal airlines under the jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

In addition to its main base at Shenyang, the airline maintained hubs at Changchun Dafangshen Airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, Harbin Taiping International Airport, and Sanya Phoenix International Airport.

Originating from the division of CAAC, its fleet comprised Airbus A300-600R, MD-80, MD-90-30, and subsequently Airbus A321-200 aircraft. The airline primarily operated domestic flights alongside routes to North Korea, South Korea, and Japan.

History

China Northern Airlines was established on June 16, 1990. By 1994, it had placed an order for 11 McDonnell Douglas MD-90 aircraft, reallocating older MD-82s to affiliated carriers such as Beihai Airlines. The number of MD-90 orders increased to 13 by 1997. That same year, training activities were relocated from the United States to a newly established Kunming Training Centre. In 1998, it stood as China's fifth-largest airline measured by passenger volume, achieving a load factor of 55.1%.

In 1999, China Northern procured three refurbished Britten-Norman Trislander planes to replace its aging regional fleet. Cargo turnover reached 4,882 million ton-kilometers by the end of that year. Around this period, acquisition talks involving China Eastern Airlines targeted both China Northern and China Northwest Airlines.

The year 2000 saw China Northern signing a contract for ten Airbus A321 aircraft. In November, it entered into a wet lease agreement with Angel Air for three Airbus A300-600Rs for a duration of three to five years and explored collaborative marketing efforts. Later that year, consolidation plans surfaced within China's aviation sector, including proposals for China Southern Airlines to acquire China Northern to streamline competition.

Angel Air ceased operations in January 2002, terminating its collaboration with China Northern.

In October 2002, approval was granted by China's State Council for China Southern Airlines to absorb both China Northern and China Xinjiang Airlines. By January 2003, these airlines began operating under China Southern's domestic IATA code "CZ," with international flights following by March. Their frequent flyer programs merged into the Sky Pearl Club. Under the China Southern brand, China Northern placed orders for 23 Airbus A320 family aircraft intended to replace older MD-80 and MD-90 models; by September 2004, four Airbus A319s had been delivered. The full integration into China Southern Airlines concluded by the end of 2004.

Destinations

Below is a partial listing of destinations served by China Northern Airlines:

Partner Airlines

Zhongyuan Airlines maintained cooperative agreements with the following carriers:

• Angel Air
• Korean Air

Final Fleet Composition

At the point of its merger, China Northern Airlines managed a fleet comprising 111 aircraft, with an additional 16 units pending delivery:

Aircraft	Active	Pending Orders	Remarks
Airbus A300-600R	6	—
Airbus A319-100	4	7	Operated under the China Southern Airlines brand
Airbus A321-200	6	4	Orders reassigned to China Southern Airlines
Cessna 208 Caravan	5	—	Utilized for agricultural support and passenger transport
McDonnell Douglas MD-82	23	—
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30	13	—
Xi'an MA60	—	5
Xian Y-7-100	10	—
Yunshuji Y-5	44	—
Total	111	16

Fleet Evolution

Over its operational period, the airline utilized the following aircraft types:

Aircraft	Quantity	Year Introduced	Year Retired	Comments
Airbus A300-600R	8	1993	2004
Airbus A319-100	4	2004	2004	Operated under the China Southern Airlines brand
Airbus A321-200	6	2001	2004
Cessna 208 Caravan	5	2002	Unknown
McDonnell Douglas MD-82	27	1990	2004
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30	13	1996	2004
Xian Y-7-100	11	1990	2004
Yunshuji Y-5	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

In addition to fixed-wing aircraft, China Northern Airlines operated a fleet of helicopters.

China Northern Swan Airlines

China Northern Swan Airlines, originally established as Swan Airlines by Sunbase in 1993, was headquartered at Harbin Taiping International Airport. China Northern Airlines acquired the carrier in 1996. By the year 2001, it provided services to 45 domestic and international cities of medium to large size. The airline's fleet consisted of leased McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and McDonnell Douglas MD-90 aircraft from China Northern Airlines. In 2003, it was incorporated into China Southern Airlines, alongside Beiha Airlines, China Northern Airlines, and Zhongyuan Airlines.

Frequent Flyer Program

The Sky Pearl Club served as China Northern Airlines' loyalty program from its inception in 2002 until the airline's integration into China Southern Airlines.

Accidents

• On November 13, 1993, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registration B-2141) operating as China Northern Airlines Flight 6901 from Beijing to Urumqi crashed during its approach to Urumqi airport. The accident resulted in the deaths of twelve passengers out of the total of one hundred and two onboard, attributed to pilot error.
• On May 7, 2002, China Northern Airlines Flight 6136, also a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registration B-2138), traveling from Beijing to Dalian, crashed into the Yellow Sea approximately off the coast of Dalian. All one hundred and twelve individuals aboard lost their lives. The cause was determined to be a fire ignited intentionally by a passenger.

External links

• China Northern Airlines (Archived)
• China Northern Airlines (Archived)