Joy Air, the joint venture between Aviation Industry Corporation of China and China Eastern Airlines, has gained the approval of the Civil Aviation Administration of China and is now in trial operation.

Joy Air is a regional airline focusing on central and western China and second and third tier cities that have poor traffic facilities. Currently regional aviation occupies less than 10% of the total civil aviation market.

The first batch of Joy Air's routes includes Xi'an-Yan'an and Xi'an-Zhengzhou. These two routes are expected to be launched in late August.

(China Hospitality News August 5, 2009)