Newly established airlines developing processes and changing patterns of its air route in China

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) started to open commercial airlines sector to private, collective and foreign capitals in 2004. From 2004 to 2007, 14 airlines were given approval to operate domestic passenger flights, which brought researchers a vital chance to investigate the performance of local state-owned airlines or private airlines in aviation sector. The study purposes of this paper are (1) to review the development process of these newly established airlines, and (2) to examine their air-route networks’ change patterns. The results show that, generally, the airlines have been re-constructing its air-route networks over those years. High-speed rail (HSR) operation is one of key elements to explain the change patterns. The study results are useful for aviation policy makers, airlines stockholders, and capitals interested in Chinese aviation market.