Grand China Express Air started off as a local airline company dealing in passenger carriers and also engaged in freight transportation. The airline company was based at Tianjin. A sneak peak into the formative history of the airline would reveal that it was set up in 2004. It was a step towards the impending merger of Changan Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shanxi Airlines and Xinhua Air. It received the requisite permission or license to fly the Chinese skyline in 2007 from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
The initial fleet of the Grand China Express air comprised of 29 aircrafts which were Dornier 328-300 with a seating capacity of 32 people. At present the Grand China Express fleet comprises of the same number of aircrafts. It has achieved the distinction of being the biggest airline in the region and serving as a crucial link between as many as 54 cities. It has become a force to reckon with in the internal aviation industry of the country.