During the National Day Holidays, low-cost Spring Airlines Company Limited (for short “Spring Airlines”) became a player of Beijing-Shanghai air route, which provided ticket with the minimum price of 290 RMB. Shanghai-based Juneyao Airlines Co. Ltd. (Juneyao Airlines) that just suffered “Oil Gate” has also been approved to operate Beijing-Shanghai Air Route from October 10 on. However, the two private airlines respectively have one flight every day and the time for taking off and landing are not unsatisfactory, which cannot break the price alignment created by China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd. (Eastern Airlines) and Air China Limited (Air China).

　　Beijing-Shanghai air route is a golden air route with the highest concentration of business travelers and profitability among domestic air routes. The frequency of every flight for every half an hour has reached the level of buses. Therefore, given such a frequency, it is very difficult to schedule new flights. After several-year effort, private airlines finally get the permission to operate Beijing-Shanghai air routes, but their flights are “red-eye”.

　　Spring Airlines’ flight from Shanghai to Beijing departs from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (Hongqiao Airport) at 21:45 and arrives in Beijing at 00:20; the flight from Beijing to Shanghai departs from Terminal 1 of Beijing Capital International Airport (Capital Airport) departs at 6:35 and arrives in Shanghai at 8:55; Juneyao Airlines’ flight from Shanghai to Beijing departs from Hongqiao Airport at 21:45 and arrives in Terminal 2 of Capital Airport at 0:30; the flight from Beijing departs at 6:30 and arrives in Shanghai at 8:55. Obviously, Spring Airlines and Juneyao Airlines operated the earliest and last liners of Beijing-Shanghai air route. It is very difficult for them to attract business travelers.

　　Presently, among approximately 50 Beijing-Shanghai flights of each day, there are 24 to 26 ones of Chinese Eastern Airlines and about 14 one of Air China. Other Airlines play supporting roles. Hainan Airlines has only 2 to 3 such flights and Southern Airlines, Spring Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines respectively have only one Beijing-Shanghai flight.(By Tu Lufang)