Hainan Airlines Awarded the SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline Designation for the 7th Consecutive Year

PARIS, June 20, 2017 /CNW/ -- On June 20th, Paris local time, SKYTRAX, a global provider of professional aviation evaluation services and research firm with a focus on airline and airport services, announced the winners of the 2017 SKYTRAX World Airline Awards during the Paris Air Show. Following a rigorous evaluation and selection procedure, Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd., the only carrier in mainland China that was nominated, was awarded the SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline award for the 7th consecutive year. The airline was also honored with the designation as Best China Airline and received the Best China Airline Staff Service award.

SKYTRAX president Edward Plaisted, while presenting the award to Hainan Airlines president Sun Jianfeng at the award ceremony, said, "It is the seventh time I present the SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline award to Hainan Airlines. Over the last seven years, the SKYTRAX jury has witnessed Hainan Airlines' growth into a leading global carrier characterized by its innovative and quality services. As a preferred airline of travelers worldwide that combines the brand's unique Oriental hospitality with international service standards, Hainan Airlines has truly become an international aviation brand."

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sun said, "Hainan Airlines has been providing travelers with consistent five-star services for seven consecutive years, while creating a best-in-quality air travel experience for passengers with its personalized services. We believe the combination of the best aircraft, the most stringent service standards and the safest flights will assure that passengers feel pampered the whole way when they fly with us. Winning the SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline award for seven consecutive years is the result of Hainan Airlines' tireless efforts in the areas of hardware installation, service systems, route expansion and flight safety."

The significant achievements Hainan Airlines has made to date reflect its persistent pursuit of excellence. The vision of creating an international brand has always been at the heart of the development of the carrier since its inception, and laid a solid foundation for bringing the brand fully in line with international standards, by learning from and continuing to learn from the industry's global leaders.

In terms of safety management, from aiming to become a leading international carrier since its inception to being selected as the first airline participating in the pilot of the safety management system (SMS) for the Chinese civil aviation sector in 2005, Hainan Airlines has demonstrated its own proven SMS with a focus on safety policy, risk management, safety assurance and safety enhancement. Since 2011, Hainan Airlines has been included in Germany-based safety assessment organization JACDEC's list of best airlines worldwide in terms of safety for six consecutive years. The Chinese carrier was named among the top ten airlines for five years and, in 2016, ranked third in the JACDEC list. Hainan Airlines has been focusing on improving its service quality. Since the beginning, Hainan Airlines has selected Singapore Airlinesas a benchmark peer to learn from, to build its brand reputation with "the service awareness of a waiter". This led to the airline receiving the highest ratings for ten consecutive years in an annual survey taken of passengers by the Chinese aviation authority, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), making a name for the airline across the country's civil aviation industry. After evolving into an international airline, Hainan Airlines was te first airline in mainland China to join the SKYTRAX alliance, as well as one of only nine airlines to earn the alliance's five-star designation for seven consecutive years (since 2011). In 2017, Hainan Airlines was listed among the Top 10 SKYTRAX carriers.

In the past year, Hainan Airlines upgraded products, and optimized its service philosophy and service details, based on client feedback. To cite an example, it launched a new Hainan Airlines membership system, in a move to provide frequent flyers with more benefits; rolled out the Boeing 787-9 aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi technology, enabling access to the internet while in flight; upgraded cabins by equipping business class with the Reverse Herringbone seat layout, providing passenger a more private space; created the "Star Kitchen in the Air" by deepening cooperation with leading hotel brands and restaurants; upgraded the on-board entertainment system by refreshing the system interface, innovating the safety information video and offering high-quality BOSE noise-cancelling headphones on international routes to create a smooth and pleasant in-flight audio-visual experience; and building brand new VIP lounges at Xi'An, Hangzhou and Guangzhou airports, with HNA Club, the business lounge in Terminal 2 at Beijing Capital International Airport, already open for business.

Meanwhile, Hainan Airlines has constantly improved its network of international routes, aiming to build an air-bridge comprised of interconnected routes that carry passenger to all corners of the globe. To date, Hainan Airlines has launched more than 1,000 domestic and international routes from and to more than 100 cities across Asia, North America, Europe and Oceania. With such an extensive international route network, Hainan Airlines provides passengers convenient and flexible travel options, including direct flights to foreign destinations from Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu and Changsha. These direct flights connect China to the world, and deepen the political, economic and cultural exchanges between China and the countries served by the airline. In addition, Hainan Airlines, as a Chinese airline, is committed to improving services by expanding its network of routes and innovating products, in response to China's One Belt, One Road initiative. As a result, many of its international routes have received positive feedback from both Chinese and foreign passengers. In building out its international routes, Hainan Airlines incorporated the spirit and essence of traditional Chinese culture into all aspects of the design and layout.

Hainan Airlines has never failed in giving back to society while promoting product upgrades and building the international route network. The airline has made it a core part of its mission to make a contribution to society and for the benefit of the greater good, and actively engages in its corporate social responsibilities. Hainan Airlines is committed to building a "green airline" brand by adopting a low carbon, low energy policy as an important strategy to promote the sustainable development of the company. Hainan Airlines has long been a supporter of regional economic development and a participant in social welfare campaigns. The company takes an innovative approach to how it makes a contribution to society with the launch of the "Change for Good" on-board fundraising, "Love Wings - bonus points for public welfare", "Send Love Home" and "Carbon Footprint Offset" programs. As a member of China's civil aviation industry, Hainan Airlines actively takes part in flying missions when requested by the government such as evacuation of Chinese nationals, disaster rescue and peacekeeping riot squad charter flights, contributing to safeguarding national peace and promoting all-win harmony and sustainability of Hainan Airlines and society.

Winning the SKYTRAX five-star airline award for the seventh time is, at the same time, both a positive commentary on what the airline has accomplished to date and the new beginning of a new chapter as the airline embarks on new, important projects and into the next stage of excellence in service. 2017 represents an important year in the history of Hainan Airlines, as the company actively promotes the transformation of the brand, a brand that has truly achieved an international status as a result of its globalization efforts, with an ultimate goal of creating a full-fledged world-class airline. Now in its 24^th year, Hainan Airlines, under the umbrella of HNA Group, has been both a participant in and a recipient of the benefits of the growth of China's civil aviation industry, actively implementing national policies and demonstrating its brand value through innovative services.

SOURCE Hainan Airlines Holding Co., LTD.

Peony Wang, [phone], [phone], [email protected]