I know people have spoken about this before - but I don't think recently. Back in 2010(ish) - it seemed like Hainan was pretty sure to join; they were actively looking to join an alliance, and were (and still are) the last major unaligned airline in mainland China - where OW currently has no members.

I would love to see HU join, and as far as I can see, they would be (almost) perfect for OW:

• They codeshare with AA, AB, and S7 (and previously QF and JL; they also have an interlining agreement with BA) - covering a lot of their (extremely limited) long haul network
• They have an extensive domestic network in China - which is what OW really needs imo - this would allow OW passengers to transfer between HU-operated dom. flights and OW-operated intl. flights at several major hubs in mainland China
• They offer a good product (especially when compared against other Chinese carriers) - and are a 5* airline

Obviously, Chinese airlines are in a mess when it comes to alliances (with MU having joined ST, and CX and CA's partnership) - and because of the HNA group's involvement with HK Airlines and HK express, Cathay certainly would not be pleased if HU were to join OW. However, Cathay doesn't really cover mainland China in the way that Hainan does.

Is there a chance of HU joining OW? - to me it seems quite logical (or maybe I'm not thinking straight because I just really want them to join?). I'd be interested to know what people think!