CAAC (airline)
CAAC, formerly the People's Aviation Company of China, was the airline owned by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. It enjoyed the monopoly status in the country from 1953 to 1987, before Deng Xiaoping's reform of separation of government and enterprise.
The airline was founded on 17 July 1952, and merged into the CAAC on 9 June 1953. From 1987 until 1991, the monopoly was broken up and CAAC was split into six regional airlines, which nowadays became China's Big Three airlines: Air China, China Southern Airlines, and China Eastern 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, the flag carrier, based in Beijing, inherited the IATA and ICAO airline code of CAAC
- China Southwest Airlines, based in Chengdu
- China Eastern Airlines, based in Shanghai
- China Northwest Airlines, based in Xi'an
- China Southern Airlines, based in Guangzhou
- China Northern Airlines, based in Shenyang
CAAC's aircraft livery featured the Chinese national flag on the vertical stabilizer, with blue stripe cheatline and Chinese version of CAAC logo 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, such as the Soviet Union, Mongolia, North Korea, Laos, Burma, Bangladesh, North Vietnam, and Cambodia. By the mid-1980s, CAAC had long-haul service to the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia, mainly using American Boeing aircraft, while continuing to use Soviet aircraft on routes to Eastern Europe.This is an incomplete list of destinations served by CAAC:
| Country | City | Airport | Notes |
| Australia | Sydney | Sydney Airport | |
| British Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Kai Tak Airport | |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport | |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | Tejgaon Airport | |
| Burma | Mandalay | Mandalay Chanmyathazi Airport | |
| Burma | Yangon | Yangon International Airport | |
| Cambodia | Phnom Penh | Phnom Penh International Airport | |
| China | Aksu City | Aksu Hongqipo Airport | |
| China | Ankang | Ankang Wulipu Airport | |
| China | Baoshan | Baoshan Yunrui Airport | |
| China | Baotou | Baotou Donghe Airport | |
| China | Beijing | Beijing Capital International Airport | |
| China | Beijing | Beijing Nanyuan Airport | |
| China | Changchun | Changchun Dafangshen Airport | |
| China | Changsha | Changsha Datuopu Airport | |
| China | Chifeng | ||
| China | Chengdu | Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport | |
| China | Chongqing | Chongqing Baishiyi Airport | |
| China | Dalian | Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport | |
| China | Fuzhou | Fuzhou Yixu Airport | |
| China | Guangzhou | Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport | |
| China | Guilin | Guilin Qifengling Airport | |
| China | Guiyang | ||
| China | Haikou | Haikou Dayingshan Airport | |
| China | Hailar | Hulunbuir Hailar Airport | |
| China | Hami | Hami Yizhou Airport | |
| China | Hangzhou | Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport | |
| China | Harbin | Harbin Taiping International Airport | |
| China | Hefei | Hefei Luogang Airport | |
| China | Hefei | Hefei Sanlijie Airport | |
| China | Hohhot | Hohhot Baita International Airport | |
| China | Hotan | Hotan Kungang Airport | |
| China | Jinan | Jinan Zhangzhuang Airport | |
| China | Jiayuguan City/Jiuquan | Jiayuguan Jiuquan Airport | |
| China | Karamay | ||
| China | Kashgar | Kashgar Laining International Airport | |
| China | Kunming | Kunming Wujiaba International Airport | |
| China | Kuqa | Kuqa Airport | |
| China | Lanzhou | Gongxingdun Airport | |
| China | Lanzhou | Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport | |
| China | Lhasa | Lhasa Gonggar Airport | |
| China | Nanchang | Nanchang Xiangtang Airport | |
| China | Nanjing | Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport | |
| China | Nanning | Nanning Wuxu International Airport | |
| China | Ningbo | Ningbo Lishe International Airport | |
| China | Pu'er City | Pu'er Simao Airport | |
| China | Qingdao | Qingdao Liuting International Airport | |
| China | Sanya | Sanya Phoenix International Airport | |
| China | Shanghai | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport | |
| China | Shanghai | Shanghai Longhua Airport | |
| China | Sharasume | ||
| China | Shenyang | Shenyang Dongta Airport | |
| China | Tacheng | ||
| China | Taiyuan | Taiyuan Wusu International Airport | |
| China | Tianjin | Tianjin Binhai International Airport | |
| China | Tongliao | Tongliao Airport | |
| China | Ürümqi | Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport | |
| China | Wuhan | Wuhan Wangjiadun Airport | |
| China | Xiamen | Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport | |
| China | Xi'an | Xi'an Xiguan Airport | |
| China | Xichang | Xichang Qingshan Airport | |
| China | Xilinhot | Xilinhot Airport | |
| China | Xining | Xining Lejiawan Airport | |
| China | Yantai | Yantai Laishan Airport | |
| China | Yinchuan | Yinchuan Xihuayuan Airport | |
| China | Yining | Yining Airport | |
| China | Zhanjiang | Zhanjiang Airport | |
| China | Zhaotong | Zhaotong Airport | |
| China | Zhengzhou | Zhengzhou Dongjiao Airport | |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | Addis Ababa Bole International Airport | |
| France | Paris | Charles de Gaulle Airport | |
| Indonesia | Jakarta | Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport | |
| Indonesia | Jakarta | Kemayoran Airport | |
| Indonesia | Jakarta | Soekarno–Hatta International Airport | |
| Iraq | Baghdad | Saddam International Airport | |
| Japan | Nagasaki | Nagasaki Airport | |
| Japan | Osaka | Itami Airport | |
| Japan | Tokyo | Haneda Airport | |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City | Kuwait International Airport | |
| Laos | Vientiane | Wattay International Airport | |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport | |
| Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport | |
| North Korea | Pyongyang | Pyongyang International Airport | - |
| North Vietnam | Hanoi | Gia Lam Airport | |
| Philippines | Manila | Ninoy Aquino International Airport | |
| Pakistan | Karachi | Jinnah International Airport | |
| Romania | Bucharest | Henri Coandă International Airport | |
| Singapore | Singapore | Changi Airport | |
| Soviet Union | Irkutsk | International Airport Irkutsk | |
| Soviet Union | Moscow | Sheremetyevo International Airport | |
| Switzerland | Zürich | Zürich Airport | |
| Thailand | Bangkok | Don Mueang International Airport | |
| United Arab Emirates | Sharjah | Sharjah International Airport | |
| United Kingdom | London | Gatwick Airport | |
| United States | Los Angeles | Los Angeles International Airport | |
| United States | New York City | John F. Kennedy International Airport | |
| United States | San Francisco | San Francisco International Airport | |
| West Germany | Frankfurt | Frankfurt Airport | |
| Yugoslavia | Belgrade | Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport |