Great Wall Airlines

Great Wall Airlines Company Limited was a cargo airline based in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It operated cargo services to Europe, the United States and Asia. Its main base was Shanghai Pudong International Airport.[1] The airline was merged into China Cargo Airlines in 2011.

A Great Wall Airlines Boeing 747-400F landing in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Great Wall Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign
IJ GWL GREAT WALL
Founded2006
Ceased operations2011
HubsShanghai Pudong International Airport
Fleet size4
Destinations12
Parent companyChina Great Wall Industry Corporation
HeadquartersShanghai, People's Republic of China
Key peopleMr. Kuah Boon Kiam (President)

History

The airline launched its first flight from Shanghai to Amsterdam on 1 June 2006 with an initial frequency of six flights per week, becoming the first local-foreign partnership airline to take flight in China.[2]

It was co-owned by China Eastern Airlines (51%), Singapore Airlines Cargo (25%), and Dahlia Investments (24%), a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings based in Singapore.[3]

The airline suspended operations on 18 August 2006 after its parent company, China Great Wall Industry, had sanctions imposed on it by the United States Department of the Treasury for allegedly supplying missile technology to Iran.[1] All aircraft were returned to Singapore Airlines Cargo. On 13 December 2006, it was announced that sanctions against Great Wall Airlines had been lifted, and that the airline would resume service in February 2007. The airline resumed scheduled services to Amsterdam (six times weekly), Incheon (six times weekly) and Mumbai/Chennai (three times weekly). As of April 30, 2007 Great Wall Airlines also launched scheduled services to Manchester via Amsterdam (two times weekly).

The airline operated to U.S stations including Seattle and Chicago beginning end of May 2008. It started services to Atlanta in 2009.

Merger

In the first half of 2011, the company was merged into China Cargo Airlines, together with Shanghai Airlines Cargo, which was the freight division of Shanghai Airlines.

Passengers Airline

Prior to 2002 a small passenger airline operated under the name Great Wall Airlines[4] from its base in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. The airline was purchased by China Eastern Airlines in May 2001.[5]

Destinations

Great Wall Airlines operated flights to the following (as of January 2013):[6]

Fleet

Prior to the company's closure in 2012, Great Wall Airlines operated 2 Boeing 747-400BCF and 2 Boeing 747-400F.[7]

References
  1. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 88.
  2. Cargo News Asia
  3. Singapore Airlines Cargo news Archived 2012-07-16 at the Wayback Machine 19 May 2005
  4. A Political Economy Analysis of China's Civil Aviation Industry 1998
  5. South China Morning Post 11 June 2001
  6. Great Wall Airlines Summer 2010 Flight Schedule Archived 2009-04-05 at the Wayback Machine PDF format
  7. "Great Wall Airlines Fleet Details and History". www.planespotters.net.
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