Huaxia
China · Active
Airline Identity
History
The carrier now known as China Express Airlines was established in 2006 as Huaxia Airlines, widely described as China's first private (non-state-owned) regional airline, initially headquartered near Guiyang before relocating its base of operations to Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport around 2014. It was later renamed China Express Airlines, building a niche as a domestic Chinese regional-jet operator using Bombardier CRJ and later COMAC ARJ21 aircraft. In March 2018 it listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, becoming the first Chinese airline focused on regional air transport to go public. Note: the source record's truncated name "Huaxia" corresponds to this airline's original founding name; its current legal and operating name is China Express Airlines.
Current Operations
China Express Airlines operates a mixed fleet reported at around 77 aircraft (roughly 60 in active service as of late 2025) combining Airbus A320/A320neo-family jets, Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets and, increasingly, domestically produced COMAC ARJ21 regional jets, reflecting a strategic tilt toward China's homegrown regional-jet program. Its main base and headquarters are at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, with further operating bases reported at Guiyang, Xi'an, Dalian and other Chinese cities, from which it flies a regional and domestic Chinese network plus some feeder/interline connections. The company (Shenzhen Stock Exchange: 002928), majority-controlled by chairman Hu Xiaojun, became China's first listed regional-focused carrier when it debuted on the Shenzhen exchange in March 2018. It is not a member of any global alliance.
Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.