What Shandong Airlines does

Shandong Airlines (山航, SC flight code) is a state-owned Chinese scheduled passenger and cargo carrier headquartered in Jinan, Shandong Province, and operating as a subsidiary of the Air China Group. Founded in 1994 and listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (szse:200152), the airline runs a domestic network covering major Chinese cities - including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and its Shandong hubs in Jinan, Qingdao, and Yantai - alongside international routes to Seoul, Osaka, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Taichung. The carrier employs 10,000+ staff and operates 40+ direct sales offices in China and abroad, serving individual travelers, corporate clients, and government/military passengers through dedicated booking channels.

The airline's technology stack is built around an IATA-compliant New Distribution Capability (NDC) Open Platform exposing real-time inventory, pricing, and ancillaries via XML APIs to third-party travel agents and aggregators, supplemented by a Station Agency Information System for ground operations and facial-recognition-based biometric identity verification for passenger authentication and loyalty program access. Distribution spans owned digital channels (official website sda.cn, mobile app, WeChat mini-program), a 24/7 call center (95369), direct sales offices, authorized travel agents, OTAs, and the Air China Group codeshare network. The Phoenix Miles (凤凰知音) frequent flyer program is operated jointly with Air China and Star Alliance partners.

Shandong Airlines generates revenue primarily from passenger ticket sales across first, business, premium economy, and economy cabins on domestic and international routes, with ancillary revenue streams from seat selection, cabin upgrades, extra baggage, in-flight meals, lounge access, and transit hotel services. Cargo transportation provides a secondary revenue stream via the airline's owned freight capacity, and the Phoenix Miles loyalty program generates recurring partner-collaboration economics. Pricing is per-transaction with fare-class differentiation (J/C/D/R/Z/I/G/E/V/H) and cabin-based fuel surcharges, recently reduced on domestic routes effective June 5, 2026. The airline pursues a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer digital channels, offline enterprise sales offices, and intermediated distribution via agents, OTAs, and the Air China Group network.

Name

Shandong Airlines

Legal name

山东航空股份有限公司

Website

https://sda.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Shandong Airlines is a state-owned Chinese regional carrier and Air China Group subsidiary operating scheduled passenger and cargo flights across 50+ domestic cities and key Northeast/Southeast Asia international routes from its Jinan headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Air Transportation

NAICS

Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation (481111), Air Transportation (481), Scheduled Freight Air Transportation (481112)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Network Full-Service Airlines (Hub-and-Spoke) (THABAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Airlines (Passenger + Belly Cargo Integrated) (THABAAAF), Network Airlines (Full-Service, Flag & Regional) (TLAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Passenger air transportation
• Air cargo services
• Frequent flyer program
• Charter flight services
• Aviation maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Jinan

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Passenger Air Transportation: Core revenue stream from airline passenger transportation covering domestic, international, and cross-strait routes. Revenue is generated through ticket sales across multiple cabin classes (first class, business class, premium economy, economy) with varying fare conditions and service levels.
2. Ancillary Services: Additional revenue from seat selection, cabin upgrades (pre-purchase, at check-in, at gate), extra checked baggage, in-flight meals, lounge access, and transit hotel services.
3. Cargo Transportation: Freight and cargo transport services for domestic and international routes, including standard cargo, special cargo handling, and excess baggage.
4. Frequent Flyer Program (Phoenix Miles): Phoenix Miles (凤凰知音) loyalty program generating revenue through mile accumulation, redemption tickets, and partner collaborations. Members earn miles through flights and partner spending, and redeem for award tickets, upgrades, and partner rewards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shandong Airlines operates scheduled passenger air transportation across domestic Chinese cities and international destinations in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan, including cabin classes from economy to first class. The airline also provides air cargo transportation services, ancillary passenger services (seat selection, baggage, upgrades, lounge access), and the Phoenix Miles (凤凰知音) frequent flyer loyalty program operated in partnership with Air China and other Star Alliance carriers.

Product overview

Shandong Airlines (山东航空) operates as a major Chinese airline offering passenger air transportation and cargo services. The company distributes its products through multiple channels including its official website, mobile app, WeChat mini-program, customer hotline 95369, direct sales offices, and authorized agents. The core product portfolio includes scheduled passenger flights across domestic and international routes, air cargo transportation, and specialized services such as the premium '山航快线' (Express Routes), '鲁雁行' premium cabin offerings, and '商务行' corporate travel services. The airline operates an NDC Open Platform for third-party distribution and maintains the '凤凰知音' (Phoenix Miles) frequent flyer program in partnership with Air China. Recent product launches include the '一刻畅行' premium transit service and '伴宠飞' pet travel program. The airline serves major hubs including Beijing, Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai, and Xiamen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 鲁雁行: Premium cabin service brand offering enhanced travel experience
• 商务行
• 慈翔
• 童悦
• 凤凰知音
• 山航快线
• 一刻畅行

Products and services

• Passenger Air Transportation Service Core scheduled passenger air transportation service covering domestic Chinese cities and international destinations including Seoul, Bangkok, Osaka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Taichung. Multiple cabin classes (first, business, premium economy, economy) and fare classes available to individual travelers, government, military, and corporate customers.
• Air Cargo Transportation Service Freight transport service for cargo shipments via Shandong Airlines aircraft, including general cargo, special cargo handling, and cargo booking through the cargo transport portal. Serves business shippers and individuals on domestic and international routes.
• Phoenix Miles (凤凰知音) Frequent Flyer Program Frequent flyer loyalty program operated in partnership with Air China and other Star Alliance carriers, enabling members to earn and redeem miles across member airlines, enjoy priority services, and access exclusive member benefits.
• Luyan Xing (鲁雁行) Premium Cabin Service Premium cabin upgrade and exclusive service product offering enhanced comfort features, priority services, and upgraded amenities for passengers seeking elevated travel experience on selected routes.
• Shangwu Xing (商务行) Business Travel Service Business travel service product designed for corporate travelers, offering flexible booking, priority handling, and convenience features for business passengers.
• Shandong Airlines Express Routes (山航快线) Premium express route service with dedicated check-in counters, priority boarding, guaranteed seating on alternate flights, and streamlined processes for passengers on designated high-frequency routes.
• Pet Travel Service (伴宠飞) Specialized pet transport service allowing passengers to travel with small pets either in the aircraft cabin (for small animals meeting size requirements) or as checked baggage, with dedicated booking and handling procedures.
• Yike Changxing (一刻畅行) Instant Smooth Travel Premium Service Premium transit service offering streamlined airport-to-destination travel experience with priority handling and convenience features for time-sensitive passengers.
• NDC Open Platform New Distribution Capability (NDC) based distribution platform enabling third-party travel agents, OTAs, and aggregators to access real-time flight inventory, pricing, and booking services through standardized XML messaging protocols.
• Online Booking Platform (Website/Mobile App/WeChat Mini-Program) Digital sales and service channels including official website (sda.cn), mobile application, and WeChat mini-program offering ticket booking, seat selection, check-in, flight status, itinerary management, and ancillary services.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Air China GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShandong Airlines is a subsidiary of Air China Group and operates codeshare flights with Air China and other group carriers. The airline leverages Air China's route network, distribution systems, and group-wide services including the Phoenix Miles (凤凰知音) frequent flyer program. All group airlines share operational standards, catering, ground handling, and commercial platforms.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Air China: Parent group and codeshare partner; operates full-service domestic and international passenger and cargo flights across China. Shandong Airlines is structurally embedded with Air China, sharing distribution, loyalty (Phoenix Miles), and operating standards — its closest peer for benchmarking.
• Hainan Airlines: Major privately-controlled Chinese full-service carrier with extensive domestic and growing international network. Competes with Shandong on both domestic trunk routes and select Asia international destinations.
• Xiamen Airlines: Another subsidiary of Air China Group operating full-service scheduled passenger flights from a Chinese regional hub; directly comparable airline-by-airline to Shandong on network model, fleet type, and group integration.
• Juneyao Airlines: Shanghai-based Chinese full-service carrier expanding internationally; competes on premium-leisure segments and codeshare relationships via Star Alliance. Comparable fleet scale and product positioning.
• Sichuan Airlines: Regional Chinese full-service carrier focused on western/southwestern China with growing international routes. Closely comparable scale and regional-hub orientation to Shandong Airlines.

Regional players

• Korean Air: South Korean flag carrier providing ground handling for Shandong at Seoul Incheon. Competitor on China-Korea routes and broader Asia network, with overlapping SkyTeam/Air China codeshare dynamics.
• EVA Air: Taiwan-based full-service carrier competing on cross-strait and SE Asia routes. Comparable to Shandong on Taiwan-mainland capacity now being restored post-restriction.

Broad incumbents

• China Eastern Airlines: One of China's 'Big Three' state-owned full-service carriers with extensive domestic and international networks. Competes head-to-head with Shandong on major trunk routes and Shanghai-BJ/SE Asia services.
• China Southern Airlines: Largest of China's 'Big Three' by fleet size, with the most extensive domestic route network and major international long-haul operations. Direct competitor on domestic and SE Asia routes overlapping with Shandong's network.

Emerging players

• Spring Airlines: China's largest low-cost carrier; competes with Shandong on price-sensitive domestic routes and SE Asia international services. Different model (LCC vs full-service) but overlapping network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shandong-airlines-co-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shandong Airlines