Founded in 2000, it was involved in numerous industries including aviation, real estate, financial services, tourism, logistics, and more.

[19] In July 2017, HNA was targeted by the Central Government in a set of new measures that prohibit state-owned banks from lending money to Chinese private companies to curb their foreign investment activities and also over concerns about HNA's debt levels.

[20][21] Several banks associated with HNA's foreign investments halted new loans since, though some had already suspended their grants before the measures were signed into effect.

[24][25] On 29 January 2021, HNA Group declared bankruptcy after debt restructuring efforts failed.

[26] The Hainan High Court criticized the company's corporate governance structure regarding management of its affiliates in the ruling.

[31][32] The failed to restructuring makes HNA Group forced to split its assets and acquired by different buyers.

In December 2021, HNA's aviation including its founding and flagship brand Hainan Airlines, was sold to Liaoning Fangda Group Industrial.

The transaction was expected to be completed by 31 December 2019, and by that time HK Express would become Cathay Pacific's wholly owned subsidiary.

The Hudson Valley Resort & Spa was featured on an October 2017 Planet Money podcast exploring why a Chinese multinational company would invest in a remote hotel in the United States.

The shares of HNA Group were owned by two companies directly: Hainan Jiaoguan Holding (Chinese: 海南交管控股; pinyin: Hǎinán jiāoguǎn kònggǔ; lit.

Two companies originally were incorporated by Chinese state-owned enterprises, such as Haikou Meilan International Airport.

Pan-American Aviation Holding was 100% owned by Guan Jun as of 2016 (Chinese: 貫君; pinyin: Guàn Jūn, acquired from Bharat Bhisé in 2016).

[111] After much speculation on his identity, Guan Jun, by-then the indirect second largest shareholder of HNA Group (who acquired the stake from Bharat Bhisé), donated the stake to a US-registered private foundation Hainan Cihang Charity Foundation, Inc. in 2017.

[112] Reuters also interviewed Bharat Bhisé, who had served as a director of several subsidiaries of HNA Group, as well as a business partner in acquisition via Bhisé's owned Bravia Capital as well as a dealmaker, say he hold the shares of HNA Group indirectly, was “an 'accommodation' to the company and received no compensation for doing so”.

[115] In September 2019, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority announced that it would lodge a criminal complaint against HNA Group for repeatedly filing false disclosures of its shareholding structure.