HAIKOU - Hainan Airlines on Thursday said it would start sharing codes with American Airlines (AA) on March 25, a move that will enable China's fourth-largest carrier to extend its reach into the North America market.

Travelers choosing Hainan Airlines are now able to book flights on AA's three inter-continental routes -- Beijing-Chicago, Shanghai-Chicago and Shanghai-Los Angeles -- and its 16 domestic routes in the United States, according to a spokesperson for Hainan Airlines.

AA passengers can also take Hainan's Beijing-Seattle flights and six Hainan-operated domestic routes connecting Beijng with Haikou, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Urumqi, Kunming and Guangzhou, he added.

Hainan Airlines is a fast-growing Chinese airline that began operations in the southern province of Hainan in 1993. It is now the country's four-largest carrier after Air China, China Southern and China Eastern, operating on nearly 500 routes to more than 90 destinations around the globe.