HAINAN Airlines has been ordered by the Civil Aviation Administration of China to scale back services after some of its airborne staff contravened regulations on rest and recovery, according to Bloomberg News.

The carrier reportedly fell foul of a requirement for pilots and cabin crew to receive at least 36 hours of continuous rest every seven days.

Effective this week, Hainan Airlines will be forced to reduce monthly operations by at least 15 per cent from December's figure, with the duration of the penalty to be determined by how quickly the carrier corrects the shortfall in standards.

During this period, the airline will be limited to 28,755 flying hours a month. The carrier will also be barred from adding new aircraft to its fleet this year.

In addition, Hainan Airlines has been fined RMB 29,000 (US$4,600) for the transgression, which were committed by 120 flight attendants and 33 of its pilots, some of whom have since had their licences suspended for two months.