China’s West Air restarts international operations
The low-cost carrier West Air (China) (PN, Chongqing) has resumed international service with flights between Chongqing and Phuket, Thailand.
Data from ch-aviation schedules shows that West Air will provide roundtrip passenger services using the same aircraft type four days per week and six days per week for the rest of the year. On March 10, flights recommenced.
The airline initially began operating flights on the route in November 2019, just months before the Covid-19 outbreak, which amounted to unfortunate timing. The flights mostly served package visitors from China. It also flew to Jeju, Mandalay International, and Osaka Kansai before the epidemic, but none of those flights have yet to resume.
In addition to Phuket, West Air serves 37 locations around China with its fleet of 38 Airbus narrowbodies. Hainan Airlines (HU, Haikou), a division of the HNA Group’s aviation division, formed the airline in 2007. In 2021, Liaoning Fangda Group Industrial purchased that company.