China's HNA Group has established the U-Fly alliance whose founding membership includes four of the group's budget carriers - Lucky Air (China) (8L, Dali), Urumqi Air (UQ, Urumqi), West Air (China) (PN, Chongqing), and HK Express (UO, Hong Kong International). Though initial focus is on China, other LCCs are expected to join the alliance over time.
In terms of business plan, the U-FLY Alliance will offer passengers access to over eighty-five destinations with 168 city-pair options in the Asia-Pacific region. Of the carriers, HK Express serves China, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Taiwan from its Hong Kong International hub; Lucky Air serves mainland China primarily with additional flights to Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, and Myanmar from bases in Kunming Changshui, Lijiang, and Chengdu Shuangliu; Urumqi Air serves destinations throughout Xinjiang province in China from its Urumqi hub; and West Air covers China primarily with regional flights to Singapore.
"Network alignment is underway to facilitate interline connections between many exciting city pairs across Asia," HNA said in a statement. "As each LCC’s network expands and becomes more interlinked, the number of travel opportunities will multiply giving a huge range of options to visit the places that our Guests have always wanted to fly to."
Headquartered in Hong Kong, the alliance has named Andrew Cowen as CEO with Ma Zhimin (HK Express) nominated as board chairman. Other board members include Ding Yong Zheng (Lucky Air), Cen Jian Jun (Urumqi Air), and Zhu Tao (West Air). Chairmanship will be rotated across the four LCCs.
