Qingdao Airlines launches flights to a bright future

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

China Northeast's youngest commercial airline Qingdao Airlines has recently launched evening daily flights between Qingdao and Shanghai Pudong, allowing passengers to connect in Pudong for one-way flights to Africa (Ethiopian Airlines), Male (Mega Maldives Airlines) and Kuala Lumpur and Singapore (AirAsia X / AirAsia).

Since 14 June 2014, Qingdao Airlines departs for Pudong from Qingdao at 8.50 pm, arriving in Pudong at 10.05 pm under QW9777 before leaving Pudong one hour later at 11.10 pm, and touching down in Qingdao at 12.35 am. Daily flights are operated by its second Airbus A320 Sharklet aircraft.

Qingdao Airlines is a joint-venture civil aviation company approved by CAAC on 6 June 2013 and established by Nanshan Group (which also owns Nanshan Business Jet and Nanshan Civil Aviation Academy in Qingdao), Qingdao Transport Development Company (Group) Ltd and Shandong Airlines Group on 12 June 2013. The carrier obtained its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from CAAC on 10 March 2014, received its first A320 Sharklet aircraft on 11 April 2014, certified operational-ready on 16 April 2014 and launched its first scheduled flight to Chengdu from Qingdao on 26 April 2014.

Direct flights from Qingdao to Changsha were launched at end of April.

On 15 May 2014, Qingdao launched thrice-weekly flights linking Qingdao with Harbin and Hailar and later daily flights between Qingdao and Pudong.

A further two Airbus A320 Sharklet jets will join Qingdao Airlines' fleet later this year. The airline has a purchase order of 23 A320 aircraft which will be delivered before 2016 and has signed an intentional order for 20 Boeing jets with the Boeing Company.

Qingdao Airlines positions itself as China's first boutique airline. It has restructured the seat configuration of the Sharklet aircraft such that each seat has wider legroom than an ordinary Airbus A320 aircraft of a budget airline, bringing comfort and happiness to passengers not only on Business Class but also Economy Class. Passengers arriving at the check-in counters of Qingdao Airlines in Qingdao Liuting International Airport are treated as VIPs. Customised meals, pre-appointed check-in, express check-in, express customs and immigration clearance services are offered to Business Class passengers on a complimentary basis.

Qingdao Airlines plans to establish overnight aircraft bases in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xiamen, Xi'an and Harbin, establish a national route network, and open international scheduled flights to Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul-Incheon, Jeju, Singapore and other Southeast Asian cities as soon as possible. In the long-run, it plans to launch flights from Qingdao to Europe, North America and Australia.

Qingdao Airlines hopes to become one of the major airlines of China by 2020.

Inflight Review : Qingdao Airlines

Route : Qingdao-Pudong on 14 June 2014, flight QW9777.

Service quality of Qingdao Airlines : Excellent. On the night flight to Pudong, bread and Mount Lao mineral water are served to passengers. Cabin crew are courteous. Inflight magazines, safety cards and barf bags donning the Camelia logo of Qingdao Airlines are available.

Cost of travel to Pudong from Qingdao with Qingdao Airlines : from 100 Singapore Dollars (including taxes).