YZ GL8

Yangtze's 767-300ER fleet was severely underutilized by the airline. Besides B-2311, which had a brief stint flying the Beijing-Shanghai-Honolulu-Los Angeles YZ10/11 service as N231YZ, all 767-300ERs had their center fuel tanks locked and operated only domestic and short haul international flights to Japan and Korea. In 2005, when the Yangtze and China Capital unveiled ChinaExpress, an upscale shuttle service between Shanghai Hongqiao and Beijing Capital jointly operated by the two airlines, Yangtze Airlines put 2 767-300ERs in dedicated ChinaExpress service alongside 3 757-200s. A ChinaExpress sticker was applied next to the L1 door of these jets. In 2007, Shanghai GM (now SAIC-GM) partnered with Yangtze to promote their new luxury MPV, the Buick GL8 Land Business Class. Yangtze Airlines applied a special livery to one of its ChinaExpress 767-300ERs. This was not an especially attractive special livery, and the Buick logo on the engine led many to joke that the widebody jet was powered by Buick V6 engines. The special livery, much to the chagrin of many frequent flyers, lasted 3 years, all the way up to B-2313's retirement in 2010. Yangtze's partnership with SAIC-GM continues to this day, now with a 737-800 promoting the Cadillac CT6 flagship sedan.

Aircraft Pictured:
B-2313, Boeing 767-36A(ER), delivered to Yangtze Airlines in 2000. Dedicated to ChinaExpress subfleet 2006-2010. Painted in "Buick GL8 Land Business Class" special livery 2007-2010. Exited from fleet in 2010. Now Providence Worldwide Services N318PE.