Kunming Airlines (昆明航空公司) will launch its maiden flight on February 15, flying from Kunming to Changsha and on to Harbin, according to an announcement by majority shareholder Shenzhen Airlines yesterday.

The new airline, which was originally expected to start operations last month, is aiming to increase connections between Yunnan and China's second-tier cities as well as increasing air connectivity between Kunming and Southeast Asia. Tickets for flights on Kunming Airlines (code: KY) are now on sale nationwide.

Shenzhen Airlines owns 80 percent of the new airline, for which it has provided two B737-700 and one B737-800 aircraft plus 30 pilots and 26 flight attendants.

According to Kunming Airlines' development plan, the airline will spend the next three years adding to its fleet of aircraft and building an extensive flight network within Yunnan, as well as adding routes to provincial capitals around the country.

The airline's chief rival within Yunnan is China Eastern Airlines' Yunnan subsidiary which recently split with its Shanghai-based parent company after a tough year in Yunnan last year which saw mid-air protests by pilots followed by harsh punishment from aviation regulator Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has given China Eastern Airlines permission to reopen its previously suspended Kunming-Dali and Kunming-Jinghong routes, half a year after stripping the Shanghai-based airline of the routes because of mid-air protests by several of its Yunnan subsidiary's pilots.

In March of this year, China Eastern pilots are reported to have deliberately turned back midway through their provincial flights out of Kunming as a form of protest over dissatisfaction with strict lifetime contracts and low pay.

The airline quickly fired its Yunnan management, but that was not enough to prevent regulators at CAAC from discontinuing its Kunming-Dali and Kunming-Jinghong routes on May 4 and reducing feeder routes from Kunming to Lijiang, Shangri-la, Mangshi, Lincang, Pu'er and Wenshan by 20 flights daily, on April 26.

CAAC said that it had restored the routes plus increased the frequency of other China Eastern routes in Yunnan as a result of the airline's 'impressive contribution to Sichuan earthquake relief and rescue efforts', according to aviation trade publication ATW Daily News.

Analysts say the restoration of the routes may not help offset the estimated loss of 405 million yuan (US$59 million) in revenue from the route suspensions, as Chinese domestic tourism has been slumping since the Wenchuan earthquake in May.

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Travelers seeking to take advantage of the recent low air ticket prices for many domestic flights in China may want to consider arriving at the airport a little earlier than normal after July 20.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced yesterday that beginning July 20, travelers passing through more than 20 mainland airports will be subjected to an additional layer of security checks before boarding their flights.

In addition to security checks before entering airport waiting halls, there will also be new security checkpoints immediately prior to boarding.

Unsurprisingly, the official reasoning behind the tightening of airport security is Olympics-related. According to a China Daily report:

"The special measure is aimed at raising the security level at the airports and preventing anyone from carrying explosives, inflammables or other materials that can be used to disrupt the Beijing Olympic Games, the CAAC said."

"Suspects will have to go through thorough security checks, and people caught carrying such materials will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law."

Airports which will implement the secondary security checkpoints include Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports, plus airports in Qingdao, Tianjin, Shenyang, Qinhuangdao, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Jinan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Hefei, Changchun, Harbin, Dalian and Hohhot.

Furthermore, all civilian airports in the restive regions of Tibet and Xinjiang will also add the new security checks.

Although Kunming Wujiaba International Airport is not on the list, it is quite likely that security will tighten noticeably in the runup to and during the Olympics.

Image: news.anhuinews.com

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The Yunnan provincial government and Grand China Air – which is partially owned by billionaire financier George Soros – have agreed to establish Yunnan Airlines, a joint venture airline that will challenge China Eastern Airlines' dominance of the Yunnan air travel market, according to a Reuters report.

The announcement comes at a time when air travel in Yunnan and elsewhere in southwest China is expected to continue its rapid growth and Kunming is building what will be one of China's largest airports. The news also came shortly after state regulatory body the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) stripped Shanghai-based China Eastern of several air routes in Yunnan – including flights to Dali and Xishuangbanna – after an apparent mid-air strike by pilots in March of this year.

The company is still awaiting regulatory approval from the central government - which is likely, given that a provincial government will be a stakeholder in the company.

Despite the potential conflict of interest, the Yunnan government released a statement in which it said that in addition to Yunnan Airlines' plans to establish its hub in Kunming it hopes that other airlines including China Eastern's Yunnan subsidiary will further develop their operations in Kunming, according to a Xinhua report.

Xinhua is reporting that Yunnan Airlines will start out with a fleet of at least 30 planes.

Image: Xinhua

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With Chinese New Year just around the corner – this year it lands on February 7 – China is preparing for a major surge in domestic travel. At the beginning of next month, millions of students, soldiers, workers and businesspeople throughout the country will meet up with family and friends to celebrate the end of winter and the coming of spring.

More than 22 million air passengers are expected to fly China's skies this holiday - which is known in China as Spring Festival. The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) has announced that it might add temporary domestic flight routes to handle the spike in air travel. CAAC said it will 'strictly control' air traffic in Kunming's Wujiaba International Airport plus other major airports in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu to ensure everything goes smoothly during the holiday.

Air travel may be increasingly popular with Chinese travelers, but the majority of people returning home will get where they're going via China's extensive rail network. China's Ministry of Railways is expecting nearly 179 million rail travelers – almost the population of Brazil – this holiday season. The ministry is adding 311 trains to the normal national rail schedule to absorb the increase in travelers.

Kunming's main rail station is anticipating a major influx in ticket buyers this month, to address the demand for train tickets it is building 40 temporary ticket windows in front of the station. The windows will sell tickets 24 hours a day beginning Wednesday of this week and lasting through the holiday.

Aside from increased travel, the Chinese New Year season is also a time for higher food and drink prices as a large percentage of China's billion-plus population spend the holidays focused on eating and drinking. This year rising food prices are putting more pressure on holiday budgets than usual. Even beer as well as baijiu and other traditional Chinese wines spirits are feeling the bite of inflation as alcohol prices in China are experiencing unprecedented price hikes, blamed on rising costs for grain, coal and transport.

Image: clzg.cn