The airline was established in 2014 and is wholly owned by the Jingcheng Group.[4] It received its air operator's certificate on 22 January 2014[5] and flew its first service on 18 May 2014, between Kunming and Mangshi.[6] Five Boeing 787-9s were ordered in 2016, but as of November 2023 none had been delivered.
Destinations
As of March 2018, the airline served 34 destinations in China and in Southeast Asia.[7][needs update]
The airline received its two Boeing 737-700s from Air Berlin (formerly D-ABLE and D-ABLF) on 6 January 2014. However, the aircraft were returned to Southwest Airlines in May 2015. The first 737-800 was received on 30 March 2014, and the direct purchase Boeing 737-700 from Boeing was on 25 November 2014. It has orders and commitments for a further 13 Boeing 737 aircraft (seven Boeing 737-700s and six Boeing 737 MAXs).
In mid-2015, the airline signed a commitment to purchase and lease 60 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, subject to final negotiations.[11]
In July 2016, Ruili Airlines finalized an order for six Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The deal was worth US$1.59 billion.[12][13]
Incidents
On 8 July 2020, a Ruili Airlines Boeing 737 on a domestic flight from X'ian to Kunming suffered a cracked cockpit windscreen. The pilots conducted an accelerated descent and the plane made an emergency landing at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in Chongqing. None of the 178 passengers or flight crew aboard was reported injured.[14]
