Airline codes
AQ · JYH
IATA · ICAO · callsign “TRANS JADE”
9 Air’s IATA code is AQ, its ICAO code is JYH, and the radio callsign is TRANS JADE. Type AQ and your flight number into a status search to follow a 9 Air flight.
9 Air (AQ) Guide
No reviews yet
Airline
Budget flights from Guangzhou and Guiyang to Bangkok, plus a wide Chinese domestic network: routes, Boeing 737 fleet, baggage, check-in and tips for 9 Air. Ask a question
In short
9 Air is a low-cost airline from Guangzhou, part of the Juneyao group and based at Baiyun International. Its Boeing 737s, laid out with 189 economy seats, fly across China and to Thailand and Southeast Asia. 9 Air has no alliance. Hand luggage is one 7 kg piece, the lowest fares carry no checked bag, and extra weight comes in packages.
9 Air is a Guangzhou-based budget airline in the Juneyao group.
Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with 9 Air. Routes, schedules and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.
What to expect
9 Air (九元航空) is a low-cost airline based at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in southern China. It was founded in February 2014, operated its first flight that December and began regular commercial service in January 2015. The airline belongs to the Juneyao group, the Shanghai company behind Juneyao Air, and describes itself as the only low-cost carrier based in central and southern China.
Thailand is 9 Air’s main foreign market. Its established routes both go to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi:
- Guangzhou to Bangkok, the airline’s busiest route. Every carrier on it is compared on Guangzhou to Bangkok flights and Bangkok to Guangzhou flights.
- Guiyang to Bangkok, linking the capital of Guizhou province directly with Thailand.
In January 2026, 9 Air also opened a Haikou to Bangkok Don Mueang service on the Boeing 737, operating three flights every two weeks at launch. That flight lands at Don Mueang rather than Suvarnabhumi, which matters if you are connecting onwards. Beyond Thailand, the network is mostly domestic: about 60 destinations across mainland China, most of them reached from its Guangzhou base. The airline tried Cambodia too, with a Guangzhou to Sihanoukville route in 2019, but that service has since ended.
Guangzhou is a large international hub, served by China Southern from much of the world and by US-Bangla Airlines and Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Dhaka (see Dhaka to Guangzhou flights and Guangzhou to Dhaka flights). Business travellers visiting Guangzhou’s trade fairs can add a Bangkok stop on 9 Air on the way home.
How did 9 Air get started?
9 Air, registered as Jiuyuan Airlines, was founded on 12 February 2014 as a subsidiary of Juneyao Air. Its first aircraft, a leased Boeing 737-800, reached Guangzhou on 30 August 2014. The first flight was a charter to Zhanjiang on 2 December 2014, and daily scheduled services began on 15 January 2015 on a Guangzhou to Wenzhou to Harbin route. Boeing delivered the airline's first owned aircraft on 15 July 2016, and the first 737 MAX arrived on 30 October 2018. The IATA code is AQ, the ICAO code is JYH and the call sign is TRANS JADE.
On 23 January 2018, 9 Air tested in-flight Wi-Fi on a narrow-body jet, the first Chinese airline to do so. During the early pandemic in March 2020 it flew rescue flights for Hubei residents stranded in Thailand and won approval to carry cargo in the passenger cabin.
Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk
Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change
Checked against trusted sources:
9 Air official website
See the source
–/5
No reviews yet
Travelled through 9 Air? Your review helps other travellers.
Good to know
- AllianceNone (Juneyao group)
- Founded2014
- Online check-inYes
Everything you should know
At a glance
9 Air (IATA: AQ, ICAO: JYH) is a Chinese low-cost airline founded in 2014 and based at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Part of the Juneyao group, it flies Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft in an all-economy layout across China and to Bangkok.
| Headquarters | Guangzhou, Guangdong, China |
|---|---|
| Fleet types | Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
| Official website | 9air.com |
Flight routes
Destinations and routes
9 Air adds and drops international routes regularly; its Guangzhou–Sihanoukville flights, for example, have ended. These are established destinations; confirm the current schedule when you search.
Search flights
Thailand
Guangzhou (CAN) departures2 destinations
FromTo CAN BKK GuangzhouBangkok Suvarnabhumi Available airlines1 airline- 9 Air
FromTo CAN DMK GuangzhouBangkok Don Mueang Available airlines1 airline- 9 Air
China
Guangzhou (CAN) departures2 destinations
FromTo CAN KWE GuangzhouGuiyang Available airlines1 airline- 9 Air
FromTo CAN HAK GuangzhouHaikou Available airlines1 airline- 9 Air
Fleet and aircraft
As of August 2025 the airline had 27 aircraft: 22 Boeing 737-800s and five 737 MAX 8s, all with 189 economy seats. Food and non-alcoholic drinks are sold on board.
-
Boeing 737-800 Narrow-body Most of the network, 189 economy seats
-
Boeing 737 MAX 8 Narrow-body Newest jets in the fleet, same 189-seat layout
Cabin classes
One cabin.
Economy All flights
Low fares, paid extras
7 kg hand luggage on most faresExtra-legroom seats for saleMeals for purchaseNon-alcoholic drinks
Frequent flyer programme
Details of the 9 Air loyalty programme are being added
9 Air is a member of None (Juneyao group), so you may earn miles with its partner programmes.
Baggage allowance
Your allowance depends on your fare and any baggage package you buy. The exact amount is printed on your booking.
Hand luggage
1 piece, 7 kg
Checked baggage
Weight packages
Lowest fares
No checked bag
Seats
189, all economy
Most fares include one 7 kg piece of hand luggage. Checked baggage is bought in weight packages.
Pro tip: add checked baggage when you book, not at the airport.
Travel day
Online Check-in
Here is the order to follow for an AQ flight: check in, sort your documents, meet the airport deadline and drop your bags.
-
Step 1
Check in online
Use 9air.com or app to check in for eligible flights. Have your 9 Air booking reference or e-ticket number and your surname ready.
Booking ref + surname -
Step 2
Prepare your documents
International 9 Air passengers need a passport and whatever visa, residence permit or entry documents the destination requires.
Passport · visa · ID -
Step 3
Arrive early
Each airport has its own 9 Air check-in and bag-drop deadline, listed in your booking. Allow extra time for busy terminals and international AQ departures.
Well before departure -
Step 4
Drop your bags
Hand in checked luggage at the 9 Air counter or bag drop, then keep your boarding pass and passport ready for security and the gate.
9 Air counter
Ready to check in?
Check in and manage your booking on the official 9 Air website.
Save money
Cheap tickets
Practical habits for a cheaper, smoother 9 Air trip.
-
01
Use Guangzhou as the bridge
Guangzhou is the 9 Air base with the most flights, so it is the natural place to join a Guangzhou and Bangkok trip on the same journey.
Guangzhou hub -
02
Buy baggage for the trade trip
Samples and goods from Guangzhou add up fast. A pre-bought baggage package costs far less than excess fees at Baiyun.
Guangzhou shopping -
03
Check BKK or DMK
Guangzhou and Guiyang flights land at Suvarnabhumi, while the Haikou flight uses Don Mueang.
Bangkok airports -
04
Pay for legroom on longer legs
The 737s are fitted with 189 seats. On a three-hour flight, an extra-legroom seat is a modest spend that makes a real difference.
Seat choice -
05
Price a bag package early
The cheapest 9 Air fares are built for travellers with hand luggage only. If you are carrying goods back from Guangzhou, price a checked baggage package at the time of booking, as it is cheaper than paying at the airport.
-
Ready to compare fares?
Search 9 Air alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.
Search 9 Air flights
Reviews and questions
Contribute:
No reviews yetFlown 9 Air recently? Be the first to share your experience with other travellers.
Recently viewed airlines
Others of this kind you opened on this device, so you can get back to them quickly.
Visitors are asking
AQ.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN).
The Juneyao group, parent of Juneyao Air.
Still looking?
Get an answer from the bookingMentor travel team and travellers who have flown 9 Air.
Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Everything travellers ask before flying 9 Air.
Checked against 9air.com and public aviation references, with a review each season.
General
Yes, it is the airline’s busiest route, flown nonstop to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. Compare it with China Southern and other airlines on the Bangkok to Guangzhou page.
Guangzhou, Guiyang and Haikou. The Guangzhou and Guiyang flights land at Suvarnabhumi, while the Haikou flight uses Don Mueang.
Most fares allow one piece of hand luggage of up to 7 kg. The permitted size is small, around 40 x 30 x 20 cm in published guides, so a large trolley case may have to be checked.
No. All its Boeing 737s carry 189 economy seats. You can pay extra for seats with more legroom.
It is part of the Juneyao group, whose main airline is Juneyao Air in Shanghai.
Its fleet is made up of Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 jets, so your Bangkok flight will be on one of these two types.
9 Air is headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Its main hub is Baiyun International.
Getting there
Guiyang, with a direct service to Suvarnabhumi, and Haikou on Hainan Island, which gained a Don Mueang route in January 2026.
Guangzhou and Guiyang flights use Suvarnabhumi (BKK). The newer Haikou flight uses Don Mueang (DMK), so check the airport code carefully.
Only on separate tickets in most cases, since 9 Air is a budget carrier. Collect your bag, check in again and allow plenty of time at Baiyun airport.
9 Air uses the IATA code AQ and the ICAO code JYH. Its radio callsign is TRANS JADE.
What's included
Not on the lowest fares. Checked baggage is sold in weight packages, and you can add it while booking or through your reservation later.
Stay & facilities
Meals are sold on board, as on most low-cost airlines. Non-alcoholic drinks are available.
9 Air was the first Chinese airline to offer in-flight Wi-Fi on a narrow-body aircraft, in January 2018. Availability can vary by aircraft, so do not rely on it for work.
Booking
27 as of August 2025: 22 Boeing 737-800s and five 737 MAX 8s.
