Becoming China's first private airline to operate overseas routes, Shanghai-based Juneyao Airlines has announced that the company is planning to launch flights to Hong Kong and Macau.

The board chairman of Juneyao Airlines, Wang Junjin, said the company had already applied for the qualification to launch international routes to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, and it is expected to acquire the qualification to run Hong Kong and Macau routes in 2009. Subsequently Juneyao Airlines will open international routes to Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea.

Juneyao Airlines recently took delivery of its first self-owned aircraft, an Airbus A320, which will operate the new routes the company will launch this summer and autumn.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Juneyao Group flying since September 2006, Juneyao Airlines now operates over 30 domestic routes departing from Shanghai.

(China Hospitality News July 29, 2009)