Spring Airlines
Spring Airlines is a low-cost airline headquartered in Changning, Shanghai, China. Spring Airlines is the aviation subsidiary of Shanghai Spring International Travel Service. It reported a net profit of 950 million yuan ($143 million) in 2016.
Key facts
History
The airline was given approval to be established on 26 May 2004. Its first aircraft, an Airbus A320 (formerly Lotus Air's), was delivered on 12 July 2005, at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Spring Airlines started operations on 18 July 2005 and the first flight on that day was between Shanghai and Yantai. Daily flights to Guilin were also initiated.
To keep operating costs low, Spring sells tickets exclusively from its ch.com website (and some designated ticket offices), bypassing travel agents. Spring no longer offers complimentary on-board meals nor complimentary water; however, passengers may purchase meals and beverages on board. In December 2006, the airline offered a 1-yuan promotional price which caused trouble with government officials.
In late July 2009, Spring's plan to establish overseas routes was granted by the General Administration of Civil Aviation of the People's Republic of China, making it the first budget airline in China to explore the international market. The airline had plans to operate short-distance routes linking mainland Chinese cities to Hong Kong and Macau, as well as neighboring countries such as Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.
On July 29, 2010, Spring Airlines launched its first international route linking its home city Shanghai and Japan's Ibaraki Airport, about 80 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. 2 months later, on September 28, the airline successfully introduced its first flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong with almost full passengers on board. Spring's daily flights from Shanghai to Macau commenced on 8 April 2011 with further international destinations following in the second half of 2011.
Since January 2015, the company has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Spring Airlines operated an airline in Japan and is the first Chinese airline to do so.
Its airports
Its main hubs
Airports that list it on their own website
These airports include this airline in the carrier list on their official website.
Other airports in its network
Route network according to OpenFlights (open route database). It may not reflect recent schedule changes.
Data from Wikidata (CC0) · summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Cite
To cite this page in academic work, an article or Wikipedia, choose the style and copy the reference. The access date is today.
This page was last updated on September 26, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, September 26). Spring Airlines. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/airline/spring-airlines
MLA
“Spring Airlines.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 26 Sept. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/airline/spring-airlines. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Spring Airlines.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified September 26, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/airline/spring-airlines.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Spring Airlines. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/airline/spring-airlines (Accessed: 18 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_airline_spring_airlines,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Spring Airlines}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-26},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/airline/spring-airlines},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/airline/spring-airlines}},
urldate = {2026-10-18},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/airline/spring-airlines |title=Spring Airlines |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-09-26 |access-date=2026-10-18 |language=en}}Types it operates · 145 aircraft · 2 models
Pick a model to see its aircraft.
