Loong Air
A Hangzhou-based Chinese airline operating passenger and cargo services under the Loong Air brand.
Last updated October 12, 2026
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Overview
Loong Air is the commercial brand of Zhejiang Changlong Airlines Co., Ltd., a Chinese airline headquartered at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The carrier began as a dedicated cargo operator under the name CDI Cargo Airlines, entering service in 2012 with a Boeing 737-300 freighter. It subsequently obtained approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China to develop passenger operations, marking a transition from a specialist freight business into a broader scheduled airline. The airline began domestic passenger service in 2013. Its first reported passenger flights took place on 29 December 2013, linking Hangzhou with Chongqing and Shenzhen. In the same year, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus covering 20 A320-family aircraft, consisting of 11 A320ceo aircraft and nine A320neo aircraft according to the reference material. This agreement supported the carrier's move toward an all-Airbus narrow-body fleet and the expansion of its scheduled passenger network. Loong Air's principal operating base is Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, giving it a strong geographic association with Zhejiang and the Yangtze River Delta. Its business has included domestic passenger flying, international passenger routes, and cargo operations. The carrier's network has developed beyond mainland China to destinations in Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. An interline relationship with Emirates is identified in the reference material, although a complete list of commercial partnerships is not provided. The brand occupies the position of a privately operated Chinese airline focused on scheduled narrow-body connectivity. Its Airbus A320-family fleet is suited to high-frequency domestic services and medium-haul international routes, while its earlier cargo identity remains part of the company's development history. The available reference material does not provide reliable information about ownership, financial performance, current leadership, fleet counts, route-by-route schedules, or detailed service tiers. Accordingly, this dossier describes the airline's documented origins, operating base, principal markets, aircraft strategy, and publicly identified commercial relationships without adding unsupported corporate or financial claims.
History
Loong Air traces its origins to CDI Cargo Airlines, a cargo carrier established in Zhejiang and later associated with the corporate name Zhejiang Changlong Airlines Co., Ltd. The airline began operating cargo services in 2012 with one Boeing 737-300 freighter. This initial model gave the company experience in air logistics before it expanded into scheduled passenger transportation. The Civil Aviation Administration of China subsequently approved the company to become a passenger airline. In 2013, the carrier began domestic passenger operations under the Loong Air brand. Its first reported passenger flight took place on 29 December 2013, with services from Hangzhou to Chongqing and from Hangzhou to Shenzhen. These routes established Hangzhou as the airline's central operating base and marked the company's transition from a primarily cargo-oriented business to a combined passenger and cargo airline. Fleet planning became a central part of the transition. On 25 September 2013, Loong Air signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 20 A320-family aircraft. The reference material describes the agreement as comprising 11 A320ceo aircraft and nine A320neo aircraft. The move toward Airbus narrow-body aircraft provided a common platform for domestic Chinese routes and regional international services. The airline's subsequent fleet description identifies an all-Airbus A320-family operation as of November 2025. Loong Air's network has expanded from its initial domestic schedule to include international destinations in Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. The airline's principal base remains Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, positioning it to serve Zhejiang and the wider Yangtze River Delta as well as connecting the region with nearby international markets. The reference material also identifies an interline agreement with Emirates, but does not provide a complete account of the airline's other interline or codeshare arrangements. The carrier has continued to be associated with both passenger and cargo activity, although the available material does not quantify the respective scale of these businesses. A letter of intent for 20 Airbus A220 aircraft is also identified in the fleet material; the aircraft type was previously known as the Bombardier CSeries. The reference does not establish whether all elements of that intention became firm orders or entered service. Likewise, it does not provide verified details on ownership, executive management, financial results, employee numbers, or the current route timetable. Loong Air's documented history is therefore best understood as the development of a Hangzhou-based cargo operator into a scheduled Chinese passenger airline with regional international reach and an Airbus-centered fleet strategy.
- 2026
Regional international network documented
[1]As of April 2026 in the supplied reference, the airline served destinations in Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.
- 2025
Fleet and A220 intention documented
[1]The reference material describes an all-Airbus A320-family fleet as of November 2025 and notes a letter of intent for 20 Airbus A220 aircraft.
- 2013
Passenger-airline approval and Airbus fleet agreement
[1]The Civil Aviation Administration of China approved the carrier's development as a passenger airline. On 25 September, the company signed an Airbus memorandum of understanding covering 20 A320-family aircraft.
- 2013
First scheduled passenger flights
[1]On 29 December, Loong Air began reported passenger services from Hangzhou to Chongqing and Shenzhen.
- 2012
Cargo services begin
[1]The carrier, then operating as CDI Cargo Airlines, began cargo services with one Boeing 737-300 freighter.
- 2011
Company founded
[1]The company that developed into Loong Air was founded in China, according to the supplied reference material.
Products and positioning
A Hangzhou-centered Chinese airline providing scheduled passenger and cargo connectivity, with an emphasis on domestic and regional international narrow-body operations.
Air transport · 2013
Scheduled passenger flights
Loong Air's passenger business consists of scheduled air services based primarily at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. It began domestic passenger operations in 2013, initially linking Hangzhou with Chongqing and Shenzhen. The service model is built around Airbus A320-family narrow-body aircraft, a type suited to high-frequency domestic routes and regional international sectors. The supplied sources do not specify cabin classes, onboard service standards, or fare brands.
International air transport
International passenger services
The airline's network extends beyond China to markets in Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. These routes broaden the carrier's role from a Zhejiang-focused domestic operator to a regional international airline. The available material confirms the geographic regions served but does not provide a complete current destination list, route frequencies, or seasonal operating details.
Air cargo · 2012
Cargo services
Cargo flying was the company's original operating activity. Under the former CDI Cargo Airlines identity, the carrier began service in 2012 with a Boeing 737-300 freighter. Cargo remains part of Loong Air's documented business scope, although the supplied sources do not state the current size of the freighter operation, its aircraft allocation, or its dedicated cargo routes.
Aircraft fleet platform · 2013
Airbus A320-family operations
The Airbus A320 family is the airline's documented core fleet platform. Loong Air's 2013 Airbus memorandum covered A320ceo and A320neo aircraft, and the supplied fleet description identifies an all-A320-family operation as of November 2025. The common narrow-body platform supports domestic Chinese flying and medium-haul regional international services. A separate letter of intent for 20 Airbus A220 aircraft is also noted, without confirmation that the aircraft entered the fleet.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2013
Expansion from cargo into scheduled passenger aviationStrategyBackground
The company had begun as CDI Cargo Airlines, operating a Boeing 737-300 freighter, but obtained approval to develop passenger services in China.
Action taken
Loong Air launched domestic passenger operations from Hangzhou and adopted the Loong Air passenger brand.
Aftermath
The change established the airline as a combined passenger and cargo operator and provided the basis for later domestic and regional international network growth.
2013
Adoption of an Airbus narrow-body fleet strategyOtherBackground
Passenger expansion required aircraft suited to domestic Chinese routes and regional international services.
Action taken
The airline signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 20 A320-family aircraft, described as 11 A320ceo and nine A320neo aircraft.
Aftermath
Loong Air subsequently became associated with an all-Airbus A320-family fleet, according to the supplied fleet reference.
- A220 fleet intentionOther
Background
The reference material identifies a planned expansion or diversification of the narrow-body fleet.
Action taken
Loong Air signed a letter of intent for 20 Airbus A220 aircraft, previously known as the Bombardier CSeries.
Aftermath
The available material does not confirm whether the letter of intent became a firm order or whether any A220 aircraft entered service.
Recent events
Zhejiang Loong Airlines and Wuchan Zhongda sign strategic cooperation agreement[5]
Zhejiang Loong Airlines and Wuchan Zhongda signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Hangzhou on August 11. The agreement provides for the parties to use their respective resources to build a broad, in-depth strategic partnership.
China Telecom and Loong Air agree on 5G ATG operations[6]
Reported:
China Telecom and Loong Air reached an understanding for Loong Air to be the first user and operate the 5G ATG network across its fleet.
Sources6 sources
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