Tianjin Airlines
A Chinese airline headquartered in Tianjin that operates regional, domestic, and selected international passenger services.
Last updated October 9, 2026
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Overview
Tianjin Airlines is a Chinese passenger airline headquartered at Tianjin Binhai International Airport in Tianjin’s Dongli District. The carrier developed from Grand China Express Air, a regional-airline operation created within the wider restructuring of aviation assets associated with Hainan Airlines, China Xinhua Airlines, Changan Airlines, and Shanxi Airlines. Although the operating company was established earlier in the decade, scheduled services under the Grand China Express Air brand began after it received regulatory authorization, using small Fairchild Dornier 328JET aircraft to connect secondary cities and regional airports. The airline adopted the Tianjin Airlines name on June 8, 2009. Its initial strategic role was to provide regional connectivity from Tianjin and to serve markets that were less suited to large mainline aircraft. By 2011, it was reported to serve dozens of destinations, and the company publicized ambitious growth plans involving hundreds of routes and a large share of China’s regional aviation market. In practice, its network became particularly significant in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, where the airline connected regional capitals with feeder airports and other smaller communities. Tianjin Airlines subsequently moved beyond its original small-jet profile. Its fleet development included Embraer regional jets, and in 2015 the airline signed an agreement covering 22 Embraer aircraft, comprising 20 Embraer 195s and two Embraer 190-E2s, subject to the relevant approvals. The company also pursued wide-body operations as part of a plan to establish long-haul international services. Airbus A330 aircraft were associated with that expansion, enabling the carrier to open routes that went beyond its regional and domestic network. In 2016, Tianjin Airlines launched long-haul services linking China with Auckland, London Gatwick, and Moscow Sheremetyevo. It later revised a planned Xi’an–London Gatwick service to London Heathrow, with the replacement service scheduled to begin in May 2018. These routes represented a significant change in positioning: the airline was no longer solely a regional connector, but also a carrier attempting to participate in China’s growing international travel market. The long-haul program included destinations in Europe, Russia, and Oceania, while the company also identified Southeast Asia as part of its intended international scope. The airline’s business remains centered on scheduled passenger transportation. Its offering includes domestic trunk and regional services, international flights, and connections that feed passengers from smaller airports into larger Chinese and international markets. Hainan Airlines is identified as a codeshare partner. Tianjin Airlines’ history also includes a serious onboard security incident in 2012, when passengers and crew subdued an attempted hijacking on Flight 7554 shortly after departure from Hotan. The aircraft returned safely, although people aboard were injured and two attackers later died from injuries sustained during the struggle. The event was treated as a major aviation-security incident in China. Tianjin Airlines is therefore best understood as a regional carrier that expanded into broader domestic and international operations. Its evolution has been shaped by the development of regional aviation in China, the needs of less densely served western and northern markets, fleet modernization, and attempts to build a long-haul network. Detailed current information on ownership structure, management, financial performance, and present route coverage is not established by the supplied reference material.
History
Tianjin Airlines emerged from the development of Grand China Express Air, a regional airline associated with the consolidation of aviation assets connected to Hainan Airlines, China Xinhua Airlines, Changan Airlines, and Shanxi Airlines. The operating company was established in 2004 and obtained an operating licence from China’s civil aviation authority in 2007. Scheduled flights began under the Grand China Express Air name with Fairchild Dornier 328JET aircraft configured for regional operations. With aircraft seating approximately 29 to 32 passengers, the airline was designed to serve routes linking smaller cities and regional airports rather than compete exclusively on China’s largest trunk routes. At the beginning of its scheduled operation, Grand China Express Air was described as China’s largest regional airline, serving 78 routes and 54 cities. The carrier changed its name to Tianjin Airlines on June 8, 2009, aligning the brand with its Tianjin base and its role in the city’s aviation system. By August 2011, the airline was reported to serve 63 destinations, excluding certain flights operated on behalf of Hainan Airlines. It also expressed plans to expand substantially, targeting more than 450 routes and at least 90 cities by 2012. Those plans reflected the broader development of regional aviation in China and the demand for links between provincial centers, remote communities, and larger gateway airports. Tianjin Airlines became particularly active in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. In these markets, the carrier connected regional capitals with feeder airports and helped provide scheduled air access across large geographic areas where surface travel could be time-consuming. This regional role remained an important part of its identity even as the airline pursued a larger and more varied network. Fleet development later supported an expansion beyond the original small-jet model. In 2015, Tianjin Airlines signed a contract for 22 Embraer aircraft: 20 Embraer 195s and two Embraer 190-E2s. The arrangement formed part of a wider agreement announced in the preceding year, with some aircraft subject to Chinese regulatory approval. The Embraer program was intended to provide capacity appropriate for regional and medium-density routes while giving the airline more flexibility than its earliest fleet. The company also sought to enter the long-haul market. It planned to receive Airbus A330 aircraft and use wide-body equipment for services to Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. In 2016, it launched long-haul services to Auckland in New Zealand, London Gatwick in the United Kingdom, and Moscow Sheremetyevo in Russia. These launches marked a major strategic transition from a primarily regional carrier to an airline with international ambitions. The intended long-haul network was subsequently adjusted; in March 2018, the airline announced that a planned Xi’an–London Gatwick service would instead operate to London Heathrow, beginning May 7, 2018. A major event in the airline’s history occurred on June 29, 2012, when Flight 7554, an Embraer ERJ-190, was the subject of an attempted hijacking. Six ethnic Uyghur men reportedly attempted to take control of the aircraft. Passengers and crew fought back, and the aircraft returned to Hotan at 12:45 p.m. Eleven passengers and crew members and two of the attackers received treatment for injuries; the two attackers later died from injuries incurred during the struggle. The event was described as China’s first serious hijacking attempt since 1990. Tianjin Airlines has also maintained a commercial relationship with Hainan Airlines through a codeshare agreement. Its historical fleet included the Fairchild Dornier 328JET and Airbus A330-300 aircraft, with an A330-300 later transferred to Hong Kong Airlines according to the supplied reference. The available material does not establish a complete current fleet, current route map, detailed management roster, or recent financial position. Accordingly, the airline’s documented history is clearest as a progression from a small-jet regional operator to a broader Chinese passenger airline with selected international and long-haul services.
- 2018
London service changes airport
[1]A planned Xi’an–London service was changed from Gatwick to Heathrow, with the new service scheduled to begin May 7.
- 2016
Long-haul services begin
[1]The airline launched long-haul services to Auckland, London Gatwick, and Moscow Sheremetyevo.
- 2015
Embraer fleet agreement
[1]Tianjin Airlines signed an agreement for 22 Embraer aircraft as part of a broader fleet plan.
- 2012
Flight 7554 hijacking attempt
[1]Passengers and crew subdued an attempted hijacking on an aircraft operating Flight 7554 from Hotan.
- 2011
Regional network expands
[1]The airline was reported to serve 63 destinations, excluding some services operated on behalf of Hainan Airlines.
- 2009
Brand renamed Tianjin Airlines
[1]Grand China Express Air changed its name to Tianjin Airlines on June 8.
- 2007
Operating licence received
[1]The regional airline received its operating licence from China’s civil aviation authority.
- 2004
Grand China Air is established
[1]Grand China Air was established as part of an effort to consolidate aviation assets associated with several Chinese airlines.
Products and positioning
A Chinese regional and network airline focused on connecting secondary cities and feeder airports while also operating selected domestic and international passenger routes.
Passenger aviation · 2007
Domestic regional passenger services
Tianjin Airlines’ original specialization was scheduled regional flying within China. The carrier used small regional aircraft to connect provincial centers, secondary cities, and feeder airports. This role was especially visible in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, where large distances and dispersed populations created demand for air links that did not always require the capacity of a major mainline aircraft.
Passenger aviation · 2009
Domestic network flights
The airline expanded from its initial regional operation into a wider domestic network linking Tianjin and other Chinese cities. Its planned growth included routes between regional capitals and smaller airports, with services intended both for local traffic and for connections into larger domestic and international gateways.
Passenger aviation · 2016
International and long-haul passenger services
Tianjin Airlines developed an international offering that included long-haul routes to Auckland, London, and Moscow. The program represented an expansion beyond the airline’s regional identity and was supported by plans to introduce Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft. The supplied material documents selected route launches and changes but does not establish the complete current international network.
Controversies
2012
Attempted hijacking of Flight 7554
On June 29, six men attempted to hijack Tianjin Airlines Flight 7554, an Embraer ERJ-190 operating from Hotan. Passengers and crew overpowered the attackers, after which the aircraft returned to Hotan. Eleven passengers and crew members and two attackers were treated for injuries; the two attackers later died from injuries sustained during the confrontation. The incident was described as China’s first serious hijacking attempt since 1990.
Brand decisions
2018
Change the planned London gatewayStrategyBackground
The airline had planned to operate a Xi’an–London Gatwick service as part of its international expansion.
Action taken
Tianjin Airlines replaced the planned Gatwick operation with a service to London Heathrow, scheduled to start May 7, 2018.
Aftermath
The change preserved the planned London connection while switching the destination airport.
2016
Enter the long-haul international marketStrategyBackground
Tianjin Airlines had historically been identified with regional and domestic flying but planned to use wide-body aircraft for international growth.
Action taken
The airline launched long-haul services to Auckland, London Gatwick, and Moscow Sheremetyevo.
Aftermath
The launches broadened the airline’s geographic profile, although a later London route plan was revised from Gatwick to Heathrow.
2015
Renew and expand the Embraer fleetGeneration changeBackground
The airline sought aircraft suitable for regional and medium-density routes while preparing for broader network growth.
Action taken
Tianjin Airlines signed an agreement covering 20 Embraer 195s and two Embraer 190-E2s, subject to applicable approvals.
Aftermath
The agreement formed part of the carrier’s transition from its earliest small-jet operation toward a more diversified fleet.
2009
Adopt the Tianjin Airlines brandStrategyBackground
The airline had operated scheduled services under the Grand China Express Air name and was developing a regional network centered on Tianjin.
Action taken
The company changed its name to Tianjin Airlines on June 8, 2009.
Aftermath
The renamed carrier continued to expand its domestic regional network and later pursued international operations.
Recent events
Tianjin Airlines inaugurates Kuqa–Urumqi–Beijing Daxing route[3]
Reported:
Tianjin Airlines inaugurated a round-trip route connecting Kuqa, Urumqi and Beijing Daxing. The article describes it as the airline’s first route serving Beijing Daxing and the first route connecting Kuqa with Beijing.
AVIC Industry-Finance subsidiary agrees to sell stakes in AVIC Jincheng UAV[4]
Reported:
AVIC Industry-Finance announced that its subsidiary AVIC Ke Gong Zhihui signed equity transfer agreements to sell stakes in AVIC Jincheng UAV to AVIC Industry-Finance, Tianjin Airlines, Shanghai Aviation Electronics and Jincheng Nanjing. The agreements covered 19.19%, 2.47%, 5.48% and 2.06% stakes, respectively.
Sources4 sources
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