When looking at Hainan Airlines' aircraft types by average age, the Airbus A350-900 is the youngest model in the Chinese carrier's fleet. However, despite their youth, it doesn't appear that they are currently part of the airline's plans. This is because it has announced its intentions to sell two of them, and sub-lease another four.

Hainan Airlines' A350 fleet in a nutshell

According to data from ch-aviation.com, Hainan Airlines presently has seven Airbus A350-900s in its fleet, with an average age of just 3.3 years old. Historically speaking, it has operated another two, with B-304Z and B-305A having served the carrier between January and October 2019. Another example remains on order.

The A350-900 is one of several widebody designs at Hainan Airlines, whose fleet also includes the A330-200 and -300, and the Boeing 787-8 and -9 models. However, amid the present uncertainty surrounding the airline industry, particularly in China, its like-new A350s have seen minimal use, and are all inactive.

Data from ch-aviation shows that five of the European widebodies, which seat 334 passengers across three classes, are stored at Lourdes/Tarbes Pyrénées (LDE) in France. Meanwhile, the other two can be found at Hainan Airlines' Beijing Capital (PEK) hub. The latter of these both flew there from Guangzhou in August 2021.

Minimal usage

Despite the A350's potential, it hasn't quite worked out for the aircraft at Hainan Airlines. This has led the carrier, as reported by FlightGlobal, to weigh up the type's future, which has ultimately resulted in the decision to sell two of the twinjets and sub-lease another four. The examples it wants to sell reportedly have just a handful of cycles on the clock. As such, they are effectively brand-new.

As far as the four A350s that the carrier plans to sub-lease are concerned, this figure includes the two examples stored in Beijing, which are by far its most utilized. Indeed, these widebodies have racked up over 900 cycles each, amounting to more than 3,000 flight hours. However, data from FlightRadar24.com shows that even they haven't been used regularly since early 2020.

Hainan Airlines detailed its plans for the future of its A350 fleet in a formal tender invitation on April 2nd. It plans to give interested parties just over a week to put forward proposals, with applications closing on April 10th. Aiming to "further optimize the fleet structure," the carrier plans to "give priority to the bidders who purchase or lease multiple aircraft."

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Has one aircraft's fate already been sealed?

It will certainly be interesting to see which operators Hainan Airlines is able to sell and sub-lease the A350s in question to. In terms of timescales, FlightGlobal notes that the carrier hopes to divest the pair it plans to sell by the end of the year. Interestingly, ch-aviation hints that one A350 already has a destination.

Specifically, the website's database lists Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras as a future operator of B-1069. This aircraft is one of the pair presently stored in Beijing. The estimated transfer date presently isn't more specific than simply 2022, so it will be interesting to see if and when it makes the move. As it stands, Azul is expecting three A350 arrivals, with one coming from Singapore Airlines.

What do you make of Hainan Airlines' strategy regarding its Airbus A350s? Where would you like to see the sold and sub-leased aircraft end up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: FlightGlobal