China’s HNA Group says chairman, CEO detained by police

BEIJING (AP) — HNA Group, the Chinese airline operator that ran into financial trouble following a global acquisition spree beginning in 2014, says its chairman and CEO have been detained on suspicion of committing crimes. A company statement says Chen Feng and Tan Xiangdong were “taken under compulsory measures” by police in the southern island province of Hainan due to “suspicion of crime.” It gave no details but said operations “are not affected.” HNA, begun as a one-plane airline in 1993, was struggling with $75 billion in debt when last year’s shutdown of global travel to fight the coronavirus pandemic devastated its aviation business. The Hainan government took control in February 2020.