China Express Airlines
A Chinese regional airline focused on connecting smaller and medium-sized cities through short-haul passenger services.
Last updated October 9, 2026
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Overview
China Express Airlines, also known as Huaxia Airlines and marketed as China Express, is a Chinese regional passenger airline headquartered on the grounds of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in Chongqing. Established in May 2006, it was described in reference material as China's first private regional airline and as the country's first airline dedicated specifically to regional operations. Its business model centers on short-haul air services linking smaller and medium-sized cities, particularly routes that may not support the scale or frequency of a large trunk carrier. This gives the airline a role in extending China's air transport network beyond the largest metropolitan markets. The airline's operating identity has been closely associated with regional aircraft. Its early fleet included Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft, while subsequent fleet development focused on the larger CRJ900 NextGen. In October 2011, China Express entered a conditional agreement for six CRJ900 NextGen aircraft with options for five more. The transaction was announced in February 2012 and converted into a firm order in July of that year. In 2014, the carrier agreed to acquire a further 16 CRJ900 aircraft, including eight options. It later exercised eight options and placed a firm order for ten CRJ900 aircraft in December 2015. The final CRJ200 was retired in April 2015, marking a transition away from the airline's original smaller regional-jet type. China Express also operates within a wider domestic airline network through codeshare relationships. The reference material identifies agreements with Air China, China Eastern Airlines, Loong Air, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and XiamenAir. Such arrangements allow the regional carrier's services to connect with the networks and distribution systems of larger or complementary airlines, although the available material does not specify the routes, commercial terms, or current status of each agreement. The airline experienced a significant operational interruption in 2010 after a landing incident at Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport. On August 28, a China Express CRJ200's right wing contacted the runway during landing; no injuries were reported. On September 1, China's Civil Aviation Administration directed the airline to suspend operations while it reviewed safety procedures and investigated the event. Partial operations were permitted to resume on September 6, with full restoration planned afterward. This episode remains one of the clearest documented safety-related turning points in the airline's public history. China Express is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange under ticker 002928.SZ. The supplied reference material does not provide current financial figures, a complete shareholder structure, present fleet totals, current executives, or a detailed account of its post-2015 development. Accordingly, those areas are left unspecified rather than inferred. Its documented strategic profile remains that of a specialized Chinese regional airline using regional jets and partnerships to serve city pairs outside the primary trunk-airline network.
History
China Express Airlines was established in May 2006 as a privately owned Chinese regional carrier. Reference material identifies it as China's first private regional airline and as the country's first airline dedicated to regional operations. From its headquarters at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, the company developed a network model centered on short-haul links between smaller and medium-sized cities rather than competing primarily on the busiest intercontinental or major domestic trunk routes. The airline's early operating history was built around Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets. These aircraft were suited to the lower-capacity routes associated with the carrier's regional strategy, but China Express subsequently moved toward the larger CRJ900 NextGen. In October 2011, it signed a conditional agreement for six CRJ900 aircraft and options for five more. The transaction was announced in February 2012 and became a firm order in July of the same year. The move represented an important fleet-development step, giving the airline access to a larger regional aircraft type while retaining a fleet structure designed for shorter routes. China Express expanded the CRJ900 program in 2014 through an agreement for 16 more aircraft, including eight options. In December 2015, it exercised eight of those options and placed a firm order for ten CRJ900 aircraft. The transition was underscored on April 30, 2015, when the airline operated its final CRJ200 flight, from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. The retirement of the CRJ200 ended the documented first phase of the carrier's fleet history and left the CRJ900 as the central aircraft type identified in the available account. A major interruption occurred in 2010. On August 28, a China Express CRJ200 contacted the runway with its right wing during landing at Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport. The incident caused no reported injuries. On September 1, the Civil Aviation Administration of China ordered the airline to suspend operations while it reviewed safety rules and investigated the occurrence. The regulator permitted partial operations to resume on September 6, and the airline indicated that it expected to restore full operations within approximately two weeks. The event was therefore both an operational disruption and a regulatory examination of the carrier's safety procedures. China Express's network has also been connected to other airlines through codeshare agreements. The documented partners are Air China, China Eastern Airlines, Loong Air, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and XiamenAir. These relationships place the regional carrier within a broader system of domestic connectivity and can help smaller-city services link to larger airline networks. The supplied material does not detail the individual routes, passenger volumes, present fleet composition, or the current status of every partnership. The company is publicly listed in China under ticker 002928.SZ. The reference material records historical ownership stakes attributed to Cathay Fortune, High Zero, Tampines International, and other shareholders, but it does not establish a current ownership breakdown. It also does not provide a reliable list of current or former executives, financial performance, or a detailed recent corporate chronology. Those facts remain unspecified in this dossier.
- 2015
Final CRJ200 flight
[1]The airline retired its last CRJ200 following a final service between Shanghai Pudong and Chongqing.
- 2015
CRJ900 options exercised
[1]The carrier exercised eight CRJ900 options and placed a firm order for ten more aircraft.
- 2014
Additional CRJ900 agreement
[1]China Express agreed to acquire 16 additional CRJ900 aircraft, including eight options.
- 2012
CRJ900 NextGen order confirmed
[1]The conditional agreement for six CRJ900 NextGen aircraft was announced and later converted into a firm order.
- 2010
Guiyang landing incident and temporary suspension
[1]A CRJ200 contacted the runway during landing at Guiyang. The aviation regulator ordered a temporary suspension, followed by authorization for partial resumption.
- 2006
China Express Airlines established
[1]The airline was established in May as a privately owned regional carrier in China.
Products and positioning
A specialized Chinese regional carrier focused on connecting smaller and medium-sized cities.
Passenger airline services · 2006
Regional passenger air services
China Express's core offering is scheduled regional passenger transportation within China. The airline's documented strategy is to connect smaller and medium-sized cities through short-haul routes, complementing the longer-haul and higher-capacity networks of major trunk carriers.
Regional jet operations · 2006
Bombardier CRJ200 services
The CRJ200 formed part of China Express's early regional-jet fleet. It was used on the carrier's initial short-haul network, but the type was progressively replaced as the airline moved toward the larger CRJ900 platform. The final CRJ200 was retired in April 2015.
Regional jet operations · 2012
Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen services
The CRJ900 NextGen became the principal aircraft platform in China Express's documented fleet-development strategy. The airline first pursued the type through a conditional order in 2011, converted it to a firm order in 2012, and expanded the program through further orders and option exercises in 2014 and 2015.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2015
Retire the final CRJ200Generation changeBackground
The airline was transitioning from its earlier CRJ200 fleet toward CRJ900 regional jets.
Action taken
China Express operated its final CRJ200 flight on April 30, 2015, between Shanghai Pudong and Chongqing.
Aftermath
The documented CRJ200 phase of the airline's fleet history ended, leaving the CRJ900 as the principal aircraft type identified in subsequent fleet-development material.
2015
Exercise CRJ900 options and add firm orderOtherBackground
China Express had accumulated options under its CRJ900 acquisition program.
Action taken
The airline exercised eight options and placed a firm order for ten additional CRJ900 aircraft on December 31, 2015.
Aftermath
The transaction reinforced the airline's fleet standardization around the CRJ900 regional jet.
2012
Convert CRJ900 NextGen agreement into firm orderOtherBackground
China Express had previously entered a conditional agreement for six CRJ900 NextGen aircraft with options for five additional aircraft.
Action taken
The airline converted the conditional agreement into a firm order in July 2012.
Aftermath
The decision formalized the carrier's shift toward the CRJ900 as a central regional aircraft type.
Recent events
China Express launches onboard Wi-Fi service[2]
China Express Airlines launched its onboard Wi-Fi service at a news conference, developed in cooperation with Century Huatong.
China Express launches Tianjin–Handan–Guiyang route[3]
Tianjin Airport opened the Tianjin–Handan–Guiyang route on June 12, 2020; China Express operated the newly added service.
Bank of China Chongqing Branch and Hanhua Financial sign strategic cooperation agreement[4]
Reported:
Bank of China Chongqing Branch and Hanhua Financial signed a strategic cooperation agreement to support private enterprises and manufacturing businesses in resuming work and production. Ten enterprises were named as the first cooperation units.
China Express launches multi-seat flight service[5]
Reported:
China Express launched its “安心飞——一人多座” service, allowing a passenger purchasing a full-fare economy ticket to use multiple seats, alongside additional services including a dedicated security channel, a prevention kit, checked baggage allowance and insurance.
China Express Airlines upgrades its Anxin Fei service[6]
Reported:
China Express Airlines upgraded its Anxin Fei service with features including seating that leaves adjacent seats unoccupied, a dedicated first-class security channel, a protective kit at the gate, extra checked baggage allowance and complimentary insurance.
Sources6 sources
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