HNA Group executives have recently shared an intent to acquire hundreds of new aircraft by the decade's end. The group will have a combined fleet of over 1,000 airliners with these additional planes. This announcement comes as the group has been working to keep up with rising demand for air travel. The airline group plans to expand into the coming decade, aiming to operate a fleet of 1,200 to 1,300 aircraft by 2035.
The recent announcement that HNA Group plans to operate a fleet 1,000-strong by the end of 2029 implies that further aircraft orders are on the horizon as the group does not currently have a fleet large enough to reach this goal. According to Caixin Global, HNA Group has a combined fleet of over 800 aircraft. The Chinese air carrier Hainan Airlines is the most notable airline within the HNA group. As HNA Group's largest carrier, Hainan Airlines supplies over a quarter of its aircraft and will likely be the largest recipient of these new planes.
The airline ordered 60 COMAC C919 aircraft and 40 ARJ21 regional jets in April. As this order is insufficient to supply the HNA Group with enough planes to reach its goal, it can be presumed that Hainan Airlines and other HNA Group subsidiaries will place numerous additional orders over the next few years.
Group executives have yet to share any details concerning the upcoming orders. Historically, Hainan Airlines has operated a fleet primarily consisting of foreign aircraft made by Boeing and Airbus. However, following its most recent purchase, it is not unlikely that it may begin to operate a sizable fleet of Chinese-made airplanes. Should the airline come to love the C919, it is possible that Hainan Airlines could transition from a predominantly foreign-made fleet to a primarily domestic fleet over the coming decades.
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