Hainan Airlines: The Skytrax 5 Stars and What Passengers Say

History and positioning

There is a curious gap between the story of Hainan Airlines and that of its group: while HNA expanded into unrelated sectors until it collapsed in the 2021 bankruptcy restructuring, the airline that bears its name kept flying and held on to its Skytrax 5-star rating, the only airline in all of mainland China to do so.

The fleet

The fleet, of about 180 aircraft, is built around the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for international long-haul, with the 737s covering the domestic and regional core.

Routes and network

The hubs of Haikou Meilan and Beijing Daxing, with the secondary base at Xi'an, support an extensive domestic network and long-haul links to North America, Europe and Oceania.

On board and service

The Skytrax 5-star rating, confirmed for the 14th consecutive year in 2025, rewards above all the business class on the 787, with cabin amenities often cited in the awards, and the cabin crew's service.

What passengers say

Independent passenger reviews paint a more nuanced picture than the 5-star brand suggests: some travelers judge the long-haul product good or very good without quite bringing it up to the benchmarks of the truly 5-star Gulf carriers, while short domestic legs draw more average ratings. The contrast between the official recognition and passengers' everyday sentiment is, in itself, a recurring topic of discussion online.

Hainan Airlines is a good choice if you fly long-haul and care about cabin comfort, especially in business class on the 787. It is not suited to anyone expecting the 5-star recognition to translate automatically into the same level on every single short domestic flight: the product varies noticeably by route and aircraft. The practical tip, all else equal and with a modest fare difference, is to prefer the long-haul leg operated with the 787 over a domestic connection on a narrowbody: that is where the 5-star reputation is most consistently confirmed.