The fourth privately-run Chinese airline carrier, East Star Airlines recently launched its business operations in Wuhan formally. On 19th, May, the maiden flight of East Star reached Shenzhen; The next day, East Star started operating routes of Wuhan-Haikou & Guangzhou.

A total of 3.8 million passengers traveled through Hong Kong International Airport in April, posting an all-time-high record for monthly passenger throughput.

SAS Group President and CEO Jorgen Lindegaard, who kept the airline aloft through the most challenging period in its history, announced yesterday that he will resign this fall, saying in a statement, "I feel that the time is right for a new CEO to take over."

Sharing its first quarter results, online travel company Ctrip.com has posted total revenues worth US$21 million during the three-month period. The figure represents a 61 percent increase from the same period in 2005 and one percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2005. (5/18/2006)

Shanghai Airlines accepted a formal invitation to join Star Alliance at a ceremony yesterday in Shanghai, becoming the second Chinese carrier to commit itself to a global airline partnership.

China's online travel service company Ctrip.com has entered into an agreement with Google. The tie-up will enable Ctrip.com to upgrade search power for hotel information in China. (5/10/2006)

Hong Kong Economic Development and Labour Bureau has formally 'given the green light' for Hainan Airlines to become a shareholder of CR Airways, the Bureau thought that even after CR Airways has changed the structure of stockholders, it still has the ability to act on the status of 'one of the designated Hong Kong airline carrier'. But this time Hainan Airlines could be successful in entering the Hong Kong aviation market is suggested to be contributed by the fact that Hainan Airlines decreased its stock-owning percentage of CR Airways from the originally planed 65% to 45%.

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday sent a message to his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan, expressing sincere condolences to the relatives of those killed in a jet crash early Wednesday morning.