Having settled into this nice hotel, it was time to see what the early hours might hold in store – the answer was a little bit of FedEx, SF Airlines and other cargo carriers. We had power naps and got back up for two TransNusa departures – first one was ARJ-21 PK-ALC and the second one an hour later was A320 PK-TLB, neither seemingly using Jakarta, so we were unlikely to see there later this trip. Back to sleep and then back up for 05:15 to catch US-Bangla Airlines 737 S2-AJG.

Dominant carrier here is of course China Southern Airlines, but this is also the base for 9 Air, so a good amount of these will be seen over a day here. Weather was forecast to be cloudy with rain and the forecast was spot on. Lots of rain and total cloud cover all day. Too much rain and you would lose the visibility needed to see departures – we came close to that but we could see enough as long as we were sharp and, on the case, before they disappeared into the low murk. Any medium to low cloud cover also means that you can’t see the down winds for Guangzhou or the overheads at 13,000 feet that are inbound to Zhuhai and Shenzhen.

We spent the evening making sure that everybody had successfully managed to complete Philippines entry requirements and get a QR code that would allow us to board our flight from Xiamen to Manila. Straight forward if you are savvy and OK with tech and issues that can arise. If not, allow time for any issues as I’m led to believe that you can’t board without the QR code. We were not asked to show ours on checking-in or boarding though.

The following log is in country prefix, then airline, type and reg order. No photographs taken today, so some provided for this blog post, from the Xiamen set three days later.

4R-ALQ, Airbus A330 343E, SriLankan Airlines (1687)
7T-VJC, Airbus A330 202, Air Algerie (1649)
9M-AGK, Airbus A320 251NSL, AirAsia (7803)
9M-VAF, Airbus A321 251NXSL, AirAsia (12225)
9M-MVG, Boeing 737MAX 8, Malaysia Airlines (66442)
9V-OJA, Boeing 787 9, Scoot (37112)
9V-SFM, Boeing 747 412F, Singapore Airlines (32898)
9V-SCD, Boeing 787 10, Singapore Airlines (60255)
A7-BEC, Boeing 777 3DZER, Qatar Airways (43216)
B-LBH, Airbus A330 343E, Cathay Pacific Airways (1567)
B-206J, Boeing 737MAX 8, 9 Air (61371)
B-208H, Boeing 737MAX 8, 9 Air (61377)
B-1472, Boeing 737NG 800/W, 9 Air (61360)
B-208K, Boeing 737NG 800/W, 9 Air (61370)
B-220S, Boeing 737NG 86N/W, 9 Air (41257)
B-220Y, Boeing 737NG 86N/W, 9 Air (41258)
B-1552, Boeing 737NG 86X/W, 9 Air (61354)
B-1715, Boeing 737NG 8GP/W, 9 Air (39819)
B-1719, Boeing 737NG 8GP/W, 9 Air (39820)
B-6386, Airbus A321 213, Air China (3725)
B-6632, Airbus A321 213, Air China (4221)
B-6885, Airbus A321 232, Air China (5199)
B-6081, Airbus A330 243, Air China (839)
B-6101, Airbus A330 343E, Air China (1685)
B-6102, Airbus A330 343E, Air China (1695)
B-1082, Airbus A350 941, Air China (231)
B-322Z, Airbus A350 941, Air China (481)
B-5398, Boeing 737NG 89L/W, Air China (36490)
B-5518, Boeing 737NG 89L/W, Air China (36754)
B-7892, Boeing 737NG 89L/W, Air China (60851)
B-1430, Boeing 777 300ER, Air China (63357)
B-2043, Boeing 777 39LER, Air China (41441)
B-2097, Boeing 777 FFT, Air China Cargo Airlines (44680)
B-1623, Airbus A320 232SL, Capital Airlines (6229)
B-302V, Airbus A321 231SL, Capital Airlines (8534)
B-8543, Airbus A321 231SL, Capital Airlines (7173)
B-8553, Airbus A321 231SL, Capital Airlines (7288)
B-6880, Airbus A320 214, China Eastern Airlines (4967)
B-8496, Airbus A320 214SL, China Eastern Airlines (7049)
B-6638, Airbus A320 232, China Eastern Airlines (4240)
B-9973, Airbus A320 232SL, China Eastern Airlines (5852)
B-1033, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Eastern Airlines (8107)
B-304P, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Eastern Airlines (8544)
B-8653, Airbus A321 211SL, China Eastern Airlines (7360)
B-9947, Airbus A321 231SL, China Eastern Airlines (5705)
B-6099, Airbus A330 243, China Eastern Airlines (916)
B-5802, Boeing 737NG 79P/W, China Eastern Airlines (39725)
B-5822, Boeing 737NG 79P/W, China Eastern Airlines (39735)
B-5826, Boeing 737NG 79P/W, China Eastern Airlines (39313)
B-1317, Boeing 737NG 800/W, China Eastern Airlines (43901)
B-205R, Boeing 737NG 800/W, China Eastern Airlines (61691)
B-20AE, Boeing 737NG 800/W, China Eastern Airlines (63093)
B-1772, Boeing 737NG 89P/W, China Eastern Airlines (41470)
B-5795, Boeing 737NG 89P/W, China Eastern Airlines (41305)
B-5838, Boeing 737NG 89P/W, China Eastern Airlines (40953)
B-5840, Boeing 737NG 89P/W, China Eastern Airlines (41304)
B-919G, Comac C919 100STD, China Eastern Airlines (00012)
B-2831, Boeing 757 2Y0PCF, China Postal Airlines (26153)
B-328C, Airbus A319 153NSL, China Southern Airlines (10288)
B-329Y, Airbus A319 153NSL, China Southern Airlines (10955)
B-32AU, Airbus A319 153NSL, China Southern Airlines (10988)
B-32HP, Airbus A319 153NSL, China Southern Airlines (12221)
B-32JJ, Airbus A319 153NSL, China Southern Airlines (12267)
B-32JY, Airbus A319 153NSL, China Southern Airlines (12195)
B-32KX, Airbus A319 153NSL, China Southern Airlines (12149)
B-32LM, Airbus A319 153NSL, China Southern Airlines (12495)
B-2406, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (2354)
B-6253, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (2511)
B-6282, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (2824)
B-6293, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (2986)
B-6623, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (4205)
B-6775, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (4613)
B-6776, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (4671)
B-6782, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (4794)
B-6815, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (4928)
B-9929, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (5693)
B-9930, Airbus A320 214, China Southern Airlines (5730)
B-8341, Airbus A320 214SL, China Southern Airlines (6996)
B-6583, Airbus A320 232, China Southern Airlines (4003)
B-6651, Airbus A320 232, China Southern Airlines (4260)
B-6679, Airbus A320 232, China Southern Airlines (4370)
B-6680, Airbus A320 232, China Southern Airlines (4279)
B-6762, Airbus A320 232, China Southern Airlines (4751)
B-6766, Airbus A320 232, China Southern Airlines (4919)
B-6816, Airbus A320 232, China Southern Airlines (4912)
B-9916, Airbus A320 232, China Southern Airlines (5564)
B-301J, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Southern Airlines (8282)
B-30A8, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Southern Airlines (9142)
B-32FY, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Southern Airlines (11637)
B-32GD, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Southern Airlines (11700)
B-32GG, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Southern Airlines (11755)
B-32JL, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Southern Airlines (12294)
B-32MQ, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Southern Airlines (12737)
B-32N6, Airbus A320 251NSL, China Southern Airlines (12789)
B-6622, Airbus A321 211, China Southern Airlines (4194)
B-6685, Airbus A321 211, China Southern Airlines (4416)
B-8675, Airbus A321 211SL, China Southern Airlines (7366)
B-8848, Airbus A321 211SL, China Southern Airlines (7506)
B-8849, Airbus A321 211SL, China Southern Airlines (7558)
B-8996, Airbus A321 211SL, China Southern Airlines (7865)
B-1625, Airbus A321 231, China Southern Airlines (6461)
B-6397, Airbus A321 231, China Southern Airlines (3784)
B-32K1, Airbus A321 251NXSL, China Southern Airlines (12420)
B-32L0, Airbus A321 251NXSL, China Southern Airlines (12418)
B-32LQ, Airbus A321 251NXSL, China Southern Airlines (12510)
B-32M3, Airbus A321 251NXSL, China Southern Airlines (12550)
B-32M7, Airbus A321 251NXSL, China Southern Airlines (12564)
B-32M9, Airbus A321 251NXSL, China Southern Airlines (12625)
B-303G, Airbus A321 253NSL, China Southern Airlines (8415)
B-308D, Airbus A321 253NSL, China Southern Airlines (8895)
B-30EY, Airbus A321 253NXSL, China Southern Airlines (9386)
B-30F6, Airbus A321 253NXSL, China Southern Airlines (9293)
B-30FW, Airbus A321 253NXSL, China Southern Airlines (9477)
B-327G, Airbus A321 253NXSL, China Southern Airlines (10614)
B-1088, Airbus A321 271NSL, China Southern Airlines (8372)
B-1090, Airbus A321 271NSL, China Southern Airlines (8015)
B-1092, Airbus A321 271NSL, China Southern Airlines (8203)
B-301U, Airbus A321 271NSL, China Southern Airlines (8515)
B-301V, Airbus A321 271NSL, China Southern Airlines (8533)
B-309J, Airbus A321 271NSL, China Southern Airlines (8995)
B-8367, Airbus A321 271NSL, China Southern Airlines (7530)
B-5959, Airbus A330 323E, China Southern Airlines (1575)
B-8358, Airbus A330 323E, China Southern Airlines (1699)
B-8426, Airbus A330 323E, China Southern Airlines (1760)
B-8365, Airbus A330 343E, China Southern Airlines (1821)
B-308T, Airbus A350 941, China Southern Airlines (318)
B-30A9, Airbus A350 941, China Southern Airlines (339)
B-30AL, Airbus A350 941, China Southern Airlines (347)
B-30CE, Airbus A350 941, China Southern Airlines (376)
B-320S, Airbus A350 941, China Southern Airlines (449)
B-324R, Airbus A350 941, China Southern Airlines (462)
B-1165, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (62873)
B-1170, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (62879)
B-1176, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (63271)
B-1206, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (63245)
B-1238, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (63258)
B-205J, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (43954)
B-20CT, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (65251)
B-20CU, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (65274)
B-20D6, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (65258)
B-224L, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (65254)
B-226K, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (63291)
B-226L, Boeing 737MAX 8, China Southern Airlines (65257)
B-5252, Boeing 737NG 71B/W, China Southern Airlines (35382)
B-5253, Boeing 737NG 71B/W, China Southern Airlines (35383)
B-1401, Boeing 737NG 800/W, China Southern Airlines (63234)
B-1403, Boeing 737NG 800/W, China Southern Airlines (63247)
B-1406, Boeing 737NG 800/W, China Southern Airlines (63246)
B-1411, Boeing 737NG 800/W, China Southern Airlines (63240)
B-206A, Boeing 737NG 800/W, China Southern Airlines (43903)
B-5021, Boeing 737NG 81B, China Southern Airlines (32927)
B-1917, Boeing 737NG 81B/W, China Southern Airlines (41316)
B-5189, Boeing 737NG 81B/W, China Southern Airlines (35365)
B-5192, Boeing 737NG 81B/W, China Southern Airlines (35369)
B-5195, Boeing 737NG 81B/W, China Southern Airlines (35371)
B-5446, Boeing 737NG 81B/W, China Southern Airlines (35389)
B-5468, Boeing 737NG 81B/W, China Southern Airlines (35386)
B-5717, Boeing 737NG 81B/W, China Southern Airlines (38938)
B-5760, Boeing 737NG 81B/W, China Southern Airlines (38957)
B-1701, Boeing 737NG 86N/W, China Southern Airlines (41251)
B-1922, Boeing 737NG 86N/W, China Southern Airlines (41246)
B-20CK, Boeing 777 300ER, China Southern Airlines (65418)
B-2099, Boeing 777 31BER, China Southern Airlines (43219)
B-7588, Boeing 777 31BER, China Southern Airlines (43228)
B-2725, Boeing 787 8, China Southern Airlines (34923)
B-2787, Boeing 787 8, China Southern Airlines (34931)
B-1128, Boeing 787 9, China Southern Airlines (63982)
B-1242, Boeing 787 9, China Southern Airlines (63978)
B-209D, Boeing 787 9, China Southern Airlines (60311)
B-209E, Boeing 787 9, China Southern Airlines (60312)
B-20E8, Boeing 787 9, China Southern Airlines (60314)
B-20EL, Boeing 787 9, China Southern Airlines (63987)
B-605X, Comac ARJ-21 700, China Southern Airlines (145)
B-650K, Comac ARJ-21 700, China Southern Airlines (148)
B-651A, Comac ARJ-21 700, China Southern Airlines (161)
B-652M, Comac ARJ-21 700, China Southern Airlines (188)
B-653C, Comac ARJ-21 700, China Southern Airlines (178)
B-653X, Comac ARJ-21 700, China Southern Airlines (10132)
B-653Y, Comac ARJ-21 700, China Southern Airlines (10133)
B-91A0, Comac ARJ-21 700, China Southern Airlines (215)
B-657J, Comac C919 100STD, China Southern Airlines (00020)
B-657X, Comac C919 100STD, China Southern Airlines (00022)
B-658N, Comac C919 100STD, China Southern Airlines (00024)
B-658P, Comac C919 100STD, China Southern Airlines (00025)
B-226C, Boeing 777 F, China Southern Cargo (67823)
B-226D, Boeing 777 F, China Southern Cargo (67824)
B-2010, Boeing 777 F1B, China Southern Cargo (41634)
B-2075, Boeing 777 F1B, China Southern Cargo (37312)
B-6246, Airbus A319 133, Chongqing Airlines (3836)
B-6247, Airbus A319 133, Chongqing Airlines (3876)
B-6248, Airbus A319 133, Chongqing Airlines (3901)
B-8987, Airbus A320 214SL, Chongqing Airlines (7630)
B-1826, Airbus A320 232, Chongqing Airlines (5875)
B-9976, Airbus A320 232, Chongqing Airlines (5645)
B-302K, Airbus A320 251NSL, Chongqing Airlines (8278)
B-302L, Airbus A320 251NSL, Chongqing Airlines (8419)
B-30E8, Airbus A321 253NXSL, Chongqing Airlines (9008)
B-32GL, Airbus A320 251NSL, Hainan Airlines (12125)
B-32H8, Airbus A320 251NSL, Hainan Airlines (12313)
B-32K7, Airbus A320 251NSL, Hainan Airlines (12397)
B-5979, Airbus A330 243, Hainan Airlines (1591)
B-6133, Airbus A330 243, Hainan Airlines (982)
B-32NN, Airbus A330 343E, Hainan Airlines (1663)
B-6527, Airbus A330 343E, Hainan Airlines (1178)
B-6539, Airbus A330 343E, Hainan Airlines (1255)
B-1130, Boeing 737NG 800/W, Hainan Airlines (62575)
B-5709, Boeing 737NG 808, Hainan Airlines (34709)
B-1538, Boeing 737NG 84P/W, Hainan Airlines (44387)
B-1727, Boeing 737NG 84P/W, Hainan Airlines (39216)
B-5462, Boeing 737NG 84P/W, Hainan Airlines (36780)
B-5520, Boeing 737NG 84P/W, Hainan Airlines (35765)
B-5662, Boeing 737NG 84P/W, Hainan Airlines (38153)
B-5712, Boeing 737NG 84P/W, Hainan Airlines (39196)
B-5798, Boeing 737NG 84P/W, Hainan Airlines (39203)
B-6060, Boeing 737NG 84P/W, Hainan Airlines (39963)
B-1735, Boeing 737NG 86N/W, Hainan Airlines (41269)
B-7175, Boeing 737NG 86N/W, Hainan Airlines (43414)
B-5346, Boeing 737NG 8BK/W, Hainan Airlines (29673)
B-2729, Boeing 787 8, Hainan Airlines (34941)
B-6491, Boeing 737NG 8LY/W, Kunming Airlines (41337)
B-2862, Boeing 757 25CPCF, North-Western Cargo (34008)
B-2866, Boeing 757 25CPCF, North-Western Cargo (34009)
B-2981, Boeing 737 3W0SF, SF Airlines (28972)
B-2985, Boeing 737 3W0SF, SF Airlines (29068)
B-7805, Boeing 737NG 800/W, Shandong Airlines (43896)
B-5727, Boeing 737NG 85N/W, Shandong Airlines (39110)
B-6550, Airbus A320 214, Shenzhen Airlines (3756)
B-6563, Airbus A320 214, Shenzhen Airlines (3698)
B-6566, Airbus A320 214, Shenzhen Airlines (3855)
B-6567, Airbus A320 214, Shenzhen Airlines (3887)
B-6569, Airbus A320 214, Shenzhen Airlines (3848)
B-6589, Airbus A320 214, Shenzhen Airlines (4028)
B-1683, Airbus A320 214SL, Shenzhen Airlines (6564)
B-8219, Airbus A320 214SL, Shenzhen Airlines (6721)
B-30F3, Airbus A320 271NSL, Shenzhen Airlines (9529)
B-30FP, Airbus A320 271NSL, Shenzhen Airlines (9573)
B-323T, Airbus A320 271NSL, Shenzhen Airlines (10292)
B-20EU, Boeing 737MAX 8, Shenzhen Airlines (61157)
B-1376, Boeing 737NG 800/W, Shenzhen Airlines (61123)
B-1516, Boeing 737NG 87L/W, Shenzhen Airlines (37627)
B-1941, Boeing 737NG 87L/W, Shenzhen Airlines (37625)
B-1973, Boeing 737NG 87L/W, Shenzhen Airlines (37624)
B-5381, Boeing 737NG 87L/W, Shenzhen Airlines (35528)
B-5402, Boeing 737NG 87L/W, Shenzhen Airlines (35531)
B-5606, Boeing 737NG 87L/W, Shenzhen Airlines (39143)
B-32HF, Airbus A320 271NSL, Sichuan Airlines (11961)
B-8603, Airbus A321 211SL, Sichuan Airlines (7276)
B-6387, Airbus A321 231, Sichuan Airlines (3583)
B-6906, Airbus A321 231, Sichuan Airlines (5160)
B-1891, Airbus A321 231SL, Sichuan Airlines (6316)
B-9937, Airbus A321 231SL, Sichuan Airlines (5647)
B-30FR, Airbus A321 271NXSL, Sichuan Airlines (9445)
B-6705, Airbus A320 214, Spring Airlines (4331)
B-9920, Airbus A320 214, Spring Airlines (5378)
B-32E3, Airbus A320 251NSL, Spring Airlines (11170)
B-30FZ, Airbus A321 253NXSL, Spring Airlines (9556)
B-3259, Embraer EMB-195 LR, Tianjin Airlines (19000736)
B-321T, Airbus A321 211SL, West Air (7358)
B-5280, Boeing 737NG 75C/W, XiamenAir (38385)
B-1964, Boeing 737NG 85C/W, XiamenAir (39914)
B-5751, Boeing 737NG 85C/W, XiamenAir (38400)
B-5151, Boeing 737NG 86N/W, XiamenAir (34255)
B-326S, Airbus A321 251NXSL, Zhejiang Loong Airlines (10685)
B-18115, Airbus A321 271NXSL, China Airlines (11752)
B-18719, Boeing 747 409F, China Airlines (33739)
ET-ANP, Boeing 777 260LR, Ethiopian Airlines (40772)
HS-BBC, Airbus A320 216SL, Thai AirAsia (5468)
HS-TJW, Boeing 777 2D7ER, Thai Airways International (34591)
HL7646, Boeing 747 409F, Air Zeta (30768)
HL8284, Boeing 777 28EER, Asiana Airlines (40199)
HL8025, Airbus A330 323E, Korean Air (1611)
HL7609, Boeing 747 8HTF, Korean Air (37132)
HL8299, Gulfstream Aerospace G650 ER (6212)
JA831J, Boeing 787 8, Japan Airlines (34847)
N710GT, Boeing 777 F, Atlas Air (67995)
N121FE, Boeing 767 3S2F, FedEx Express (43545)
N129FE, Boeing 767 3S2F, FedEx Express (43548)
N872FD, Boeing 777 F, FedEx Express (66262)
N572FE, McDonnell Douglas MD-11 ERF, FedEx Express (48755)
PK-TLB, Airbus A320 214, TransNusa Air Services (2835)
PK-ALC, Comac ARJ-21 700, TransNusa Air Services (10129)
RDPL-34223, Airbus A320 214, Lao Airlines (5356)
S2-AHV, Boeing 737NG 8E9/W, Biman Bangladesh Airlines (40335)
S2-AJG, Boeing 737NG 8AL/W, US-Bangla Airlines (39062)
UK32111, Airbus A321 253NXSL, Qanot Sharq Airlines (10996)
VN-A357, Airbus A321 231, Vietnam Airlines (3355)
VN-A507, Airbus A321 272NSL, Vietnam Airlines (9051)
VT-ISO, Airbus A320 251NSL, IndiGo (9561)
XU-353, Airbus A320 232SL, Air Cambodia (7434)
XU-356, Airbus A320 232SL, Air Cambodia (7435)
XY-AGV, Airbus A319 111, Myanmar Airways International (1247)

Photo credits: Grant Robinson

—
Best regards,

Grant Robinson
http://www.oxfordaviationgroup.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/oxfordaviationgroup
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62861611@N08/albums