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CAAC (), formerly the People's Aviation Company of China (), was the airline division of the
Civil Aviation Administration of China The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC; ) is the civil aviation authority of the People's Republic of China, under the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Transport. It oversees civil aviation and inv ...
and the monopoly civil airline in the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. It was founded on 17 July 1952, and merged into CAAC on 9 June 1953. Between 1987 and 1991, the monopoly was broken up and CAAC was split into six regional airlines, which later consolidated into China's Big Three airlines: Beijing-based
Air China Air China, officially Air China Limited, ( zh, s=中国国际航空公司, labels=no, ''Zhōngguó guójì hángkōng gōngsī'') is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi ...
, Guangzhou-based
China Southern Airlines China Southern Airlines (branded as China Southern) is a major airline in China, headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong. It is one of the three major airlines in the country, along with Air China and China Eastern Airlines. Established on 1 ...
, and Shanghai-based
China Eastern Airlines China Eastern Airlines (branded as China Eastern) is a major airline in China, headquartered in Changning, Shanghai, Changning, Shanghai. It is one of the three major airlines in the country, along with Air China and China Southern Airlines. ...
.


Separation

In 1987, the State Council decided to split CAAC airline into multiple airlines in order to encourage operating efficiency and profitability. Between 1987 and 1991, six airlines were formed, each named after the geographic region of their main operating areas: *
Air China Air China, officially Air China Limited, ( zh, s=中国国际航空公司, labels=no, ''Zhōngguó guójì hángkōng gōngsī'') is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi ...
, the flag carrier, based in Beijing (established 1988), inherited the IATA and ICAO airline code of CAAC * China Southwest Airlines, based in Chengdu (established 1987; merged into Air China in 2002) *
China Eastern Airlines China Eastern Airlines (branded as China Eastern) is a major airline in China, headquartered in Changning, Shanghai, Changning, Shanghai. It is one of the three major airlines in the country, along with Air China and China Southern Airlines. ...
, based in Shanghai (established 1988) * China Northwest Airlines, based in Xi'an (established 1989; merged into China Eastern Airlines in 2002) *
China Southern Airlines China Southern Airlines (branded as China Southern) is a major airline in China, headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong. It is one of the three major airlines in the country, along with Air China and China Eastern Airlines. Established on 1 ...
, based in Guangzhou (established 1991) * China Northern Airlines, based in Shenyang (established 1990; merged into China Southern Airlines in 2003) CAAC used the IATA code CA on international flights only; domestic flights were not prefixed with the airline code. CAAC's aircraft livery featured the Chinese national flag on the
vertical stabilizer A vertical stabilizer or tail fin is the static part of the vertical tail of an aircraft. The term is commonly applied to the assembly of both this fixed surface and one or more movable rudders hinged to it. Their role is to provide control, sta ...
, with blue stripe cheatline and Chinese version of CAAC logo (designed by Lu Shifang in 1965, with the calligraphy of Premier
Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai ( zh, s=周恩来, p=Zhōu Ēnlái, w=Chou1 Ên1-lai2; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from September 1954 unti ...
) on a white fuselage. Most of the livery designs, especially the blue stripe cheatline, were also used by Air China.


Destinations

In 1962, CAAC began operating international services, initially to other countries in the
communist bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
, such as the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
,
Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
,
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
,
Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
,
Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
,
Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
,
North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...
, and
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
. By the mid-1980s, CAAC had long-haul service to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
, and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, mainly using American
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
aircraft, while continuing to use Soviet aircraft on routes to Eastern Europe. This is an incomplete list of destinations served by CAAC:


Fleet

CAAC consisted of the following aircraft:


Accidents and incidents

;1950s * On 30 August 1955,
Lisunov Li-2 The Lisunov Li-2 (NATO reporting name: Cab), originally designated PS-84, was a license-built Soviet-version of the Douglas DC-3. It was produced by Factory #84 in Khimki, Moscow-Khimki and, after the factory's evacuation in 1941, at the Tash ...
''322'' swerved off the runway on landing at Xijiao Airport, Beijing after losing hydraulic power; all four crew survived and the aircraft was undamaged, but a 12-year-old boy crouching in the grass and unnoticed by the crew died after he was hit by the aircraft. The hydraulic failure was caused by poor maintenance. * On 9 July 1956, Aero Ae-45 ''958'' crashed in Lushi County, Henan Province during a geological survey flight due to an inaccurate map and flawed operation protocol, killing all four on board. * On 7 August 1956, Douglas C-47 ''101'' crashed into a pit while taxiing near a short airstrip at Baoding; all 10 on board survived. The aircraft had been re-engined with Shvetsov ASh-62 engines. * On 5 April 1958, Ilyushin Il-14 ''632'' struck a mountain from
Xi'an Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...
while flying too low, killing all 14 on board. The crew had violated minimum safe altitude requirements. ;1960s * On 26 September 1961, Shijiazhuang Y-5 ''18188'' crashed into Qinglongshan (Blue Dragon Mountain),
Henan Province Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Luo ...
, killing all 15 on board. The aircraft entered IMC conditions and the pilots, not qualified to fly in IMC, asked ATC to ascend to a high altitude to climb out of the clouds. ATC never responded and the pilots decided to descend below the clouds to get visual reference and struck the mountain in the process. *On 1 September 1964, Shijiazhuang Y-5 ''18185'' hit powerlines and crashed in Liaoyang County while spraying pesticide, killing both pilots. The pilot probably left the spraying area to dump leftover pesticide before returning. *On 15 February 1966, Shijiazhuang Y-5 ''18152'' struck trees and crashed in a mountainous area in Yongdeng County, Gansu Province due to a navigation error; all four on board survived. *On 26 April 1966, Shijiazhuang Y-5 ''18027'' crashed in Zhenning Buyi and Miao Autonomous County, Guizhou Province during an aerial seeding flight, killing both pilots. The aircraft entered a valley that it could not climb out of and it crashed and burned. *On 5 December 1968, a CAAC Ilyushin Il-14 crashed near Beijing Capital International Airport after an unexplained loss of altitude on approach (probably due to wind shear), killing 13 of 14 on board, including scientist Guo Yonghuai. The same day, another Il-14 (''640'') also crashed at Beijing Capital International Airport due to pilot error, killing both pilots. This crash site was only from the first Il-14 crash. *On 15 November 1969, Ilyushin Il-14 ''618'' struck Mount Taiping, Wuning County at following a deviation from the flight course while flying through clouds, killing the six crew. The height of the mountain was incorrectly listed as on aeronautical charts when the actual height was . ;1970s *On 15 October 1970, Harbin Z-5 (Chinese-built Mil Mi-4) ''716'' crashed at Beijing Capital International Airport due to tail rotor failure, killing all 10 on board. The separation was due to a design and manufacturing defect. *On 14 November 1970, Ilyushin Il-14 ''616'' struck a mountain near
Guiyang Guiyang; Mandarin pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, alternatively as Kweiyang is the capital of Guizhou, Guizhou province in China. It is centrally located within the province, on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, eastern part of the Yun ...
. The crew deviated from the glidescope during the approach, probably to descend below clouds, after which the aircraft struck a hill and crashed. *In May 1972, a CAAC Lisunov Li-2 overshot the runway at Dalian Zhoushuizi Airport, killing six. *On 14 January 1973, Ilyushin Il-14 ''644'' struck a mountain near Guiyang, killing all 29 on board. The aircraft had deviated from the flight route due to pilot error. *On 30 November 1974, CAAC
Mil Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union, Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) in the 1960s and introduced into the ...
''802'' lost control while hovering and crashed at Kemerovo Airport; the helicopter was being delivered to CAAC. *On 30 March 1975, Shijiazhuang Y-5 ''8091'' struck a mountain in Dangtu County, Anhui Province while forest spraying. *On 21 January 1976, Antonov An-24RV B-492 crashed on approach to Changsha Huanghua Airport, killing all 42 on board. Witnesses reported the aircraft descending below clouds and could not maintain a stable altitude before it banked left and crashed. Investigators could not come to a firm conclusion as to the cause because the aircraft did not have flight recorders, but left engine failure due to icing was blamed. *On 1 June 1976, Shijiazhuang Y-5 ''8003'' crashed at Dongzhai Town, Shanxi Province while forest spraying; both pilots survived. The engine had failed due to pilot error. *On 27 February 1977, Ilyushin Il-18B B-204 descended too low and crashed on approach to Shenyang Dongta Airport in fog due to pilot and ATC errors, killing all 25 on board; one person on the ground also died. *On 7 June 1977, Shijiazhuang Y-5 ''8107'' crashed in Gao'an County during an air dropping flight, killing three of five on board. The crew had become disorientated due to bad weather. *On 17 July 1977, Aerospatiale Alouette III ''755'' crashed in Linwu County, Hunan Province during a mineral survey flight due to engine failure. All four on board were killed. *On 26 August 1976, a CAAC Ilyushin Il-14 crashed on landing at
Chengdu Chengdu; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, previously Romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chengtu. is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a ...
, killing 12 passengers. *On 8 January 1979, Lisunov Li-2 ''313'' stalled and crashed shortly after takeoff from Shenyang Dongta Airport due to double engine failure. There were no casualties. The pilots selected a nearly empty fuel tank, causing both engines to fail. The pilots then put the aircraft into a stall after which it crashed. *On 14 March 1979, Hawker Siddeley Trident 2E B-274 was stolen at Xijiao Airport by a mechanic familiar with the aircraft and began takeoff roll without authorization. The aircraft barely gained altitude before it crashed into a factory, killing the pilot and 32 on the ground. The pilot probably stole the aircraft out of revenge for injustice he felt in the PLAAF. ;1980s *On 20 March 1980, Antonov An-24RV B-484 stalled and crashed near Changsha Datuopu Airport while attempting a go-around, killing all 26 on board. The aircraft was operating a Kunming–Guiyang–Changsha passenger service. *On 21 April 1981, MBB Bo 105C B-763 crashed shortly after takeoff from an oil rig in the Gulf of Tonkin off the Leizhou Peninsula, probably due to pilot spatial disorientation, killing three of five on board. The two survivors were not wearing seat belts and escaped the sinking helicopter. *On 26 April 1982, CAAC Flight 3303, a Hawker Siddeley Trident 2E (B-266), struck a mountain in Gongchang County (60 km southeast of Guilin) while on approach to
Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''), postal map romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized as Kweilin, is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the we ...
, killing all 112 on board. The aircraft was attached to the PLAAF's 34th Air Division and operating for CAAC. *On 24 December 1982, CAAC Flight 2311, an
Ilyushin Il-18 The Ilyushin Il-18 (; NATO reporting name: Coot) is a large turboprop airliner that first flew in 1957 and became one of the best known Soviet aircraft of its era. The Il-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades and wa ...
B (B-202), caught fire while landing at
Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is an international airport serving Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. The airport codes were inherited from the former Baiyun Airport, and the IATA code is derived from Guangzhou's historical romanization ' ...
, killing 25 of 69 on board. The fire was caused by a passenger's cigarette. *On 5 May 1983, Six people hijacked CAAC Flight 296, a Hawker Siddeley Trident 2E (B-296) en route from
Shenyang Shenyang,; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly known as Fengtian formerly known by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a sub-provincial city in China and the list of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Liaonin ...
Dongta Airport to
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is one of two international airports serving Shanghai, China. The airport is located near the town of Hongqiao in the outskirts of Changning and Minhang districts, west of downtown, and is closer to ...
, demanding to be flown to South Korea. The aircraft landed at the US Army base Camp Page in Chunchon,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
. The incident marked the first direct negotiations between South Korea and China, which did not have formal relations at the time. *On 14 September 1983, CAAC Flight 264, a Hawker Siddeley Trident 2E (B-264), was struck on its side by a PLAAF Harbin H-5 bomber while taxiing at Guilin Qifengling Airport. 11 of 106 on board were killed. *On 18 January 1985, CAAC Flight 5109, an Antonov An-24B (B-434), crashed during drizzle and fog conditions while performing a missed approach to
Jinan Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of ...
, killing 38 of 41 on board. *On 22 October 1985, Shorts 360-100 B-3606 was written off after overshooting the runway on landing at Enshi Airport. All 25 on board survived. *On 15 December 1986, Antonov An-24RV B-3413 crashed while attempting to return to
Lanzhou Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu province in northwestern China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further west by rail to the eastern half of the country. His ...
after an engine failed due to icing, killing 6 of 44 on board. *On 16 June 1987, Boeing 737-2T4 B-2514 collided with a PLAAF
Shenyang J-6 The Shenyang J-6 (wikt:歼, Chinese: 歼-6; designated F-6 for export versions; NATO reporting name: Farmer) is the Chinese version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter, the world's first mass-produced supersonic airc ...
at Fuzhou Airport. The J-6 crashed, killing the pilot, while the 737 landed safely. *On 30 May 1988, Shijiazhuang Y-5B B-8167 struck the side of a cloud-shrouded mountain in Changsha while flying too low, killing all nine on board. The pilots did not follow minimum safe altitude requirements. *On 31 August 1988, CAAC Flight 301, a Hawker Siddeley Trident 2E (B-2218), struck the approach lights at Kai Tak Airport and struck a lip, causing the right landing gear to collapse; the aircraft then slid off the runway into
Kowloon Bay Kowloon Bay (Chinese: 九龍灣) is a bay within Victoria Harbour and a neighbourhood within Kowloon, Hong Kong. The bay is located at the east of the Kowloon Peninsula and north of Hong Kong Island. It is the eastern portion of Victor ...
, killing 7 of the 89 on board. The cause was undetermined, but windshear may have been a factor. ;1990s * On 2 October 1990, a hijacked Xiamen Airlines
Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the t ...
crashed into a CAAC
Boeing 757 The Boeing 757 is an American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the trijet Boeing 727, 727, received its first orders in August 1978. The ...
and a China Southwest Airlines
Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an early American long-range Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, the initial first flew on Decembe ...
, killing 128 people in total.


See also

* List of defunct airlines of China


References

{{Navboxes , list = {{Air China {{China Eastern Airlines {{China Southern Airlines Former monopolies Airlines based in Beijing Defunct airlines of China Transportation monopolies Airlines established in 1949 Airlines disestablished in 1988 Defunct government-owned companies of China Civil Aviation Administration of China Chinese companies established in 1949 Chinese companies disestablished in 1988