Air Travel (airline)

Air Travel, originally named Hongtu Airlines, received preliminary approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on 26 March 2015.[2] In October 2015, the airline's livery was revealed. The red color represents the famous red earth of Dongchuan District in Yunnan Province; in fact, Hongtu in the airline's name, is a transliteration of Chinese: 红土; lit.: 'red soil'.[3]

On 22 December 2015, Hongtu Airlines took delivery of its first aircraft, an Airbus A321 originally destined for UTair Aviation.[4] The aircraft is named Dai after the Dai people, an ethnic minority in Yunnan Province.[5] Hongtu Airlines held an inauguration ceremony on 20 May 2016 and began flights the following day,[6] with the inaugural flight operating between Kunming and Nanchang.[7]

The airline underwent a branding change in 2018: its English name became Air Travel,[8] despite in Chinese, it still known as 红土航空; 'red soil airline'.

Hongtu Airlines is headquartered near Kunming Changshui International Airport.[9] The airline is a joint venture between Kunming Evergreen Financing (30%); local entrepreneur Tang Longcheng (20%); and five other companies, each holding 10%. The parties have invested a total of CNY600 million (USD96.6 million) in the airline.[3][4]

As of December 2017, Hongtu Airlines flies to the following destinations in China:[10]

The Hongtu Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft as of September 2019:[11]

• Official website
• Photos from inaugural flight, 21 May 2016