HNA Airport Holding Obtains US$200 Million Investment

The HNA Group has obtained a US$200 million investment from Pacific Fund (Hong Kong) Limited and the Asian Development Bank for its HNA Airport Holdings Group Company Limited.

HNA Airport Group was established with investment from HNA Group in October 2003 and now the group has become a joint venture – HNA Airport Holding Group. HNA Group retains 51% shares of this new company, while the other two companies hold the remaining 49%. HNA Airport Holding Group currently owns 12 member airports including Haikou Meilan International Airport, Sanya Phoenix International Airport, Yichang Sanxia Airport, Gansu Airport Group (Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, and Qingyang), Weifang Nanyuan Airport, Dongying Yongan Airport, Manzhouli Xijiao Airport, and Anqing Airport.

Wang Jian, vice chairman of board of HNA Group, said that their airports are expected to reach a throughput totaling more than 18 million passengers in 2008. Having brought in strategic investors, HNA Airport Holding Group wishes to strengthen international cooperation between HNA airports and airports in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America to build a global airport management brand. The group also plans to invest in and expand more airports across second- and third-tier domestic cities, especially in western China.

Published data indicates that China will increase the total number of airports across the country from 147 currently to 220 in 2020.