Hainan Airlines to raise money for UN children's fund

Hainan Airlines said Thursday that it will raise over 10 million yuan (1.62 million U.S. dollars) over the next five years to support the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) as part of UNICEF's Change for Good program.

The airline will ask for donations from passengers traveling on its Haikou-Beijing flight starting from Sept. 1 before expanding the donation program to flights between Beijing and Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other domestic locations. International filghts will be added when the project develops further.

Established in 1987, Change for Good is a partnership between UNICEF and the international airline industry. The program has raised over 120 million U.S dollars and helped millions of children since its establishment.

UNICEF's China representative Gillian Mellsop applauded Hainan Airlines's move, adding that it will encourage more people to improve the lives of children in China and other countries.

"We hope everyone can support the Change for Good program and donate money on our flights to change children's lives for the better," Hainan Airlines Chief Executive Chen Ming said.