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Airline Identity
History
Tianjin Airlines traces its origins to Grand China Air, formed in 2004 through the merger of aviation assets from Hainan Airlines, China Xinhua Airlines, Chang'an Airlines and Shanxi Airlines; it received its Civil Aviation Administration of China operating license in 2007 and initially launched regional flights under the Grand China Express Air brand using small Fairchild Dornier 328JET turboprops. The carrier rebranded as Tianjin Airlines on 8 June 2009, establishing Tianjin Binhai International Airport as its home base and growing into one of China's larger regional carriers. Hainan Airlines formally took control of Tianjin Airlines in February 2017, folding it into the broader HNA Group aviation network. The airline expanded into long-haul international flying in 2016–2018, launching routes to Auckland, London (initially Gatwick, later Heathrow from May 2018) and Moscow, followed by Melbourne service in October 2017.
Current Operations
Tianjin Airlines operates scheduled domestic and regional international flights from its principal hub at Tianjin Binhai International Airport, with a significant secondary presence in China's Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia regions. Its fleet has historically combined Airbus A330 widebodies for long-haul routes with Embraer and Airbus narrowbody jets for domestic and regional service. Like sister carriers Hainan Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines, Tianjin Airlines is now controlled by Liaoning Fangda Group Industrial following the 2021 bankruptcy restructuring of its former parent, HNA Group. The airline continues to focus primarily on connecting northern and western Chinese cities, complementing rather than directly competing with Hainan Airlines' more internationally focused network.
Last verified 2026-08-22· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.