CNBC AI News – July 22nd – A peculiar flight plan has taken social media by storm. A screenshot circulating online shows a scheduled 九元 (9 Air) flight, AQ1441, allegedly departing and arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) within a mere 90 minutes. The intended route, according to the initial listing, was Guangzhou (3:05 AM) to Guangzhou (4:35 AM).
Dubbed a “moon appreciation flight” by amused netizens, the actual flight record tells a different story. Flight AQ1441 did indeed take to the skies on July 19th, but between 5:37 AM and 6:49 AM. Crucially, there are no other flight records for this specific route before July 19th or after July 20th. Furthermore, the flight logs lack details such as gate information or boarding procedures, raising even more questions.
Online commenters have had a field day with the “round-trip to nowhere.” Some speculated it was an actual aerial tour, quipping, “A one-hour Guangzhou sightseeing tour!” Others posited a more practical reason: “Could this be a training flight for pilots, practicing landings at Guangzhou airport?”
九元航空 customer service clarified to local media that the flight was, in fact, a test flight conducted by airline personnel. The representative stated that a decision regarding adding this specific route to their formal schedule would depend on future operational planning. The move raises questions about the airline’s transparency and resource allocation.
Traditionally, “moon appreciation flights” refer to departures scheduled between 6:00 PM and midnight, allowing passengers to enjoy moonlight views from their windows, weather permitting. However, these are typically standard commercial flights. Unique to this situation, there is no precedent in China for airlines launching same-airport round-trip routes solely for moon viewing.
九元航空, a low-cost carrier, was officially approved for establishment on February 12, 2014, by Shanghai 吉祥 (Juneyao) Airlines and 亿利 (Elion) Resources Group, among others. Headquartered in Guangzhou, 九元 operates primarily out of Baiyun International Airport (CAN), positioning itself as the first low-cost airline in the South-Central China region.
九元航 空’s budget-friendly approach hinges on unbundling core air transport services from ancillary offerings. This “pay-only-for-what-you-need” philosophy allows the airline to drive down ticket prices, famously offering promotional fares as low as 9 元, 19 元, 29 元, 99 元, and 199 元.
According to its official website, 九元航空 currently boasts a fleet of 23 Boeing 737 series aircraft, serving a total of 85 destinations, with 49 currently active. Its route network spans 11 international countries and 25 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities within China. This ambitious expansion continues to be tempered by unique challenges such as the “Guangzhou-to-Guangzhou” flight, highlighting the tensions between innovation and resource management in China’s competitive aviation market.
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