China Eastern Airlines

History

China Eastern Airlines was established on June 25, 1988, under the Civil Aviation Administration of China Huadong Administration. In 1997, China Eastern took over the unprofitable China General Aviation and also became the country's first airline to offer shares on the international market. In 1998, it founded China Cargo Airlines in a joint venture with COSCO. In March 2001, it completed the takeover of Great Wall Airlines. China Yunnan Airlines and China Northwest Airlines merged into China Eastern Airlines in 2003. Since 2025, the company slogan is Connecting all the wonders of the world ().

The Chinese government has a majority ownership stake in China Eastern Airlines (61.64%), while some shares are publicly held (H shares, 32.19%); A shares, 6.17%. On April 20, 2006, the media broke the news of a possible sale of up to 20% of its stake to foreign investors, including Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Japan Airlines, with Singapore Airlines confirming that negotiations were underway.

After receiving approval from the State Council of China, it was announced that on September 2, 2007, Singapore Airlines and Temasek Holdings (holding company which owns 55% of Singapore Airlines) would jointly acquire shares of China Eastern Airlines. On November 9, 2007, investors signed a final agreement to buy a combined 24% stake in China Eastern Airlines: Singapore Airlines would own 15.73% and Temasek Holdings an 8.27% stake in the airline.{{cite news |access-date=November 9, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111072055/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/310621/1/.html |archive-date=November 11, 2007 |url-status=live Singapore Airlines' pending entry into the Chinese market prompted the Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific to attempt to block the deal by buying a significant stake in China Eastern and voting down the deal together with Air China (which already held an 11% stake in China Eastern) at the shareholders' meeting in December 2007. However, on September 24, Cathay Pacific announced that it had abandoned these plans.

Air China's parent company, state-owned China National Aviation Corporation, announced in January 2008 that it would offer 32% more than Singapore Airlines for the 24% stake in China Eastern, potentially complicating the deal that Singapore Airlines and Temasek had proposed by Beckett Saufley. However, minority shareholders declined the offer made by Singapore Airlines. It is thought that this was due to the massive effort made by Air China to buy the 24% stake.{{cite web |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a074aaaa-bdcc-11dc-8bc9-0000779fd2ac |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a074aaaa-bdcc-11dc-8bc9-0000779fd2ac.html |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live

On June 11, 2009, it was announced that China Eastern Airlines would merge with Shanghai Airlines. The merger of China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines was expected to reduce competition between the two Shanghai-based carriers while consolidating Shanghai's status as an international aviation hub. In February 2010, the merger was completed. Shanghai Airlines became a wholly owned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines. However, Shanghai Airlines retained its brand and livery. The new combined airline was expected to have over half of the market share in Shanghai, the financial hub of China. China Eastern Airlines also acquired China United Airlines in October 2010.

In March 2012, it was announced that China Eastern was forging a strategic alliance with the Qantas Group to set up Jetstar Hong Kong, a new low cost airline to be based at Hong Kong International Airport, which would commence operations in 2013. China Eastern would hold a 50% stake in the new airline, with the Qantas Group holding the other 50%, representing a total investment of US$198 million. However, in June 2015, the Hong Kong Air Transport Licensing Authority refused to issue an operating license to Jetstar Hong Kong. China Eastern and Qantas subsequently announced the end of the investment.

In April 2013, China Eastern received a temporary permit to operate in the Philippines, but the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines required them to obtain a technical permit and an airport slot.

In 2012, China Eastern was awarded the "Golden Ting Award" at the China Capital Market Annual Conference 2012, recognizing it as one of the 50 most valuable Chinese brands by WPP and ranking in the top ten of FORTUNE China's CSR ranking 2013.

On September 9, 2014, China Eastern introduced a new logo and new livery. In 2015, the airline entered a partnership with Delta Air Lines in which Delta will buy a 3.55% share in China Eastern for $450 million.

In 2017, China Eastern Airlines reported a net profit of CNY6.4 billion ($983 million), up 41% over net income of CNY4.5 billion in 2016.

On February 26, 2020, China Eastern Airlines launched OTT Airlines as a subsidiary to operate domestically produced aircraft, such as the Comac C919 and Comac ARJ21, in the Yangtze Delta region in addition to business jet operations.

Corporate affairs

Business trends

The key trends for the China Eastern Airlines Group are (as of the financial year ending 31 December):

Organizational structure

Ownership structure

Cooperation with Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines and China Eastern Airlines formed a partnership in 2010 with a codeshare agreement, expanding in 2011 when China Eastern joined SkyTeam Alliances. They connected 42 city pairs between the U.S. and China and fostered a strong friendship. In 2015, they entered into an equity partnership, with Delta investing $450 million for a 3.55% stake in China Eastern. This led to significant achievements, including an expanded network with over 170 city pairs and the launch of Trans-China baggage check-through service. The partnership has brought numerous benefits to both airlines and their customers.

Airline subsidiaries

In addition to China Eastern Airline's mainline services, the airline also has multiple airline subsidiaries including:

;Current

• Air France–KLM (4.58%)
• China Cargo Airlines - cargo subsidiary, China's first all-cargo airline operating dedicated freight services using China Eastern Airlines' route structure.
• China Eastern Yunnan Airlines - formerly known as China Yunnan Airlines, is China Eastern Airlines' local subsidiary in the province of Yunnan.
• China United Airlines - a low-cost carrier based in Beijing Daxing International Airport. It became a subsidiary of China Eastern in 2010 as a result of acquisitions.
• Shanghai Airlines

;Former

• China General Aviation
• Jetstar Hong Kong (33.33%)
• Joy Air (40%)
• OTT Airlines - regional airline that was launched in February 2020 to operate domestically produced aircraft like the Comac C919 and Comac C909 in the Yangtze Delta region.

Destinations

Main article: List of China Eastern Airlines destinations

China Eastern Airlines has a strong presence on routes in Asia, North America and Australia. The airline looks to exploit the domestic market potential as it boosts flight frequencies from Shanghai to other Chinese cities. The airline is also accelerating the pace of international expansion by increasing flight frequencies to international destinations. In 2007, it began operations to New York City from Shanghai, making it the longest non-stop route for the airline. In 2016, China Eastern Airlines also launched direct flights from Shanghai to Prague, Amsterdam, Madrid and St. Petersburg.

On November 13, 2024, China Eastern Airlines launched a new service route, Shanghai-Madrid-Lima in collaboration with Spain's Air Europa through a codeshare agreement. The agreement marks the debut of China Eastern Airlines in Peru.

Interline agreements

China Eastern Airlines has interline agreements with the following airlines:

• Copa Airlines
• flydubai
• Jetstar
• Royal Brunei Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• Swiss International Air Lines
• Turkish Airlines

Codeshare agreements

China Eastern Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

• Aeroflot
• Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Air Europa
• Air France
• Chengdu Airlines
• China Airlines
• China Railway (Railway)
• China Express Airlines
• China United Airlines (Subsidiary)
• Delta Air Lines
• Etihad Airways
• Garuda Indonesia
• Japan Airlines
• Juneyao Air
• Kenya Airways
• KLM
• Korean Air
• LATAM Chile
• Loong Air
• Mandarin Airlines
• Qantas
• Royal Brunei Airlines
• Saudia
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Shanghai Airlines (Subsidiary)
• Sichuan Airlines
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• WestJet
• XiamenAir

Fleet

Current fleet

, China Eastern Airlines operates the following aircraft. The fleet table includes Boeing aircraft operated by China Eastern Yunnan Airlines and painted in its parent company's livery with only slight modifications.

Fleet development

China Eastern Airlines was the first Chinese airline to place an order with Airbus. The backbone of its fleet is the A320 family, which is primarily used for domestic flights.

In 2005, China Eastern Airlines placed an order for 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The airline subsequently cancelled its order owing to continuous delays and swapped it for additional Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft.

On October 18, 2011, China Eastern Airlines placed an order for 15 Airbus A330 aircraft.

China Eastern Airlines ordered 20 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and received its first 777-300ER on September 26, 2014.

In 2015, the airline acquired a further batch of 15 Airbus A330 aircraft for delivery in 2017 and 2018.

In April 2016, China Eastern Airlines ordered 20 Airbus A350-900 and 15 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, with deliveries commencing in 2018.

In May 2021, China Eastern Airlines introduced five Airbus A320neo and one Comac ARJ21 aircraft. At the end of the month, the company operated a total of 738 aircraft.

Former fleet

China Eastern Airlines has previously operated the following aircraft:

Special liveries gallery

File:B-6129 - China Eastern Airlines - Airbus A330-343X - 2011 Xian Horticultural Expo Livery - SHA (16183736733).jpg|Airbus A330-343 in 2011 Xi'an International Horticultural Expo Livery File:B-6376 - China Eastern Airlines - Airbus A320-232 - International Horticultural Exposotion 2011 Livery - PEK (16835213507).jpg|Airbus A320-232 in 2011 Xi'an International Horticultural Expo Livery File:B-6100 - China Eastern Airlines - Airbus A330-343X - EXPO 2010 Livery - SHA (16833967331).jpg|Airbus A330-343 in EXPO Shanghai 2010 Livery File:B-5475 - China Eastern Airlines - Boeing 737-89P(WL) - Tujia, Enshi Livery - CAN (13900987766).jpg|Boeing 737-800 in special livery for promotion of tourism in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture File:B-5701 - China Eastern Airlines - Boeing 737-89P(WL) - Purple Peacock Livery - ICN (17124230620).jpg|China Eastern Yunnan Airlines Boeing 737-800 in Purple Peacock Livery File:B-6126 - China Eastern Airlines - Airbus A330-343X - People's Daily Online Livery - SHA (16811533471).jpg|Airbus A330-343 in People's Daily Online Livery File:B-6125 - China Eastern Airlines - Airbus A330-343 - Xin Hua News Livery - SHA (16203451793).jpg|Airbus A330-343 in Xinhua News Livery File:B-6507@PEK (20200804154245).jpg|Airbus A330-343 in Shanghai Disney Resort Livery File:B-5976@PEK (20190828180209).jpg|Airbus A330-343 in Toy Story livery File:B-1838 - China Eastern Airlines - Airbus A321-231(WL) - SkyTeam Livery - ICN (16965367831).jpg|Airbus A321-231 in SkyTeam livery File:B-1316@SHA (20191114070748).jpg|Boeing 737-800 in Duffy the Disney Bear livery File:B-1317@SHA (20191206064312).jpg|Boeing 737-800 in Frozen livery File:B-2002@PEK (20201023085721).jpg|Boeing 777-300ER in China International Import Expo livery

Services

Cabins

;First Class China Eastern offers first class on Airbus A350s and Boeing 777s. A first class seat comes with a flat bed seat, direct aisle access and a sliding door. The plane also comes with a bar for passengers to serve themselves snacks and socialize with others. Middle seats on the Boeing 777s can be turned into a double bed.

;Business Plus/Super Premium Suites The business plus product can be found on all Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s. The suites come with bigger space along with larger suite length compared to the business class seats. The business plus suites also feature a sliding door and a minibar. The middle seats can be turned into a living room with seating for four.

Business Class

Business class comes in many different versions. On narrow-body aircraft, business class seats are recliners arranged in an 2-2 configuration. On select Airbus A330s, business class seats are either Zodiac Cirrus or Thompson Vantage XL which is in a 1-2-1 configuration, or angled flat beds or fully flat beds arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration. On Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, business class seats are modified Thompson Vantage XL with doors similar to Delta One suites. On Boeing 777s, business class seats are Zodiac Cirrus. ;Premium Economy Class Premium Economy class is found on all Airbus A320neos, A350s, Boeing 737 MAXs and Boeing 787s, and select A330-300s and Boeing 737-800s.

;Economy Class China Eastern offers complimentary meal service and select A330s, all A350s, 777s, and 787s have seatback entertainment.

Eastern Miles

China Eastern Airlines's frequent-flyer program is called Eastern Miles (). Shanghai Airlines and China United Airlines, China Eastern subsidiaries, are also parts of the program. Eastern Miles members can earn miles on flights as well as through consumption with China Eastern's credit card. Members can be upgraded to Elite membership in three tiers: Platinum, Gold and Silver, when meet minimum spending requirement (essential), enough miles or flying sectors.

Cargo

Main article: China Cargo Airlines

After the merger with Shanghai Airlines, China Eastern Airlines signaled that it would combine the two carriers' cargo subsidiaries as well. The airline's new subsidiary cargo carrier, consisting of the assets of China Cargo Airlines, Great Wall Airlines and Shanghai Airlines Cargo, commenced operations in 2011 from its base in Shanghai, China's largest air cargo market. China Eastern Airlines signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Shanghai Airport Group, which controls both Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The airline will allocate more capacity to Pudong Airport to open more international routes and boost flight frequencies on existing international and domestic trunk routes.

Incidents and accidents

• On April 24, 1989, a passenger hijacked a China Eastern Xian Y-7 en route from Ningbo to Xiamen. The hijacker, armed with a dagger and carrying dynamite, stabbed a flight attendant and demanded to be flown to Taiwan. The pilot diverted to Fuzhou instead. When the hijacker realized that he had been tricked, he blew himself up, injuring two people in the process.
• On August 15, 1989, Flight 5510 (B-3437) operating a domestic flight from Shanghai to Nanchang, crashed on takeoff following an unexplained failure of the right engine, killing 34 of 40 people on board.
• On April 6, 1993, Flight 583, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 flying from Beijing to Los Angeles via Shanghai, had an inadvertent deployment of the leading edge wing slats while cruising. The aircraft progressed through several violent pitch oscillations and lost 5000 ft of altitude. Two passengers were killed, and 149 passengers and seven crew members were injured. The aircraft landed safely in Shemya, Alaska, United States.
• On October 26, 1993, Flight 5398 from Shenzhen to Fuzhou, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 overshot the runway and crashed at Fuzhou Yixu Airport after a failed attempt to go around on approach, killing two of 80 on board.
• On September 10, 1998, Flight 586, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 flying from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport, suffered a nose gear failure after take-off. The aircraft landed back in Shanghai with the nose gear up on a foamed runway. There were only nine reported injuries. The incident became the inspiration for the 1999 movie Crash Landing, directed by Zhang Jianya, which premiered on the 50th anniversary of the National Day of the People's Republic of China.
• On November 21, 2004, Flight 5210, a Bombardier CRJ-200LR, crashed shortly after takeoff from Baotou Airport due to wing icing, killing all 53 on board and two people on the ground.
• On June 7, 2013, Flight 2947, an Embraer ERJ-145LI (B-3052), ran off the runway on landing at Hongqiao Airport; all 49 on board survived. Investigation revealed that a servo valve in the nosewheel steering assembly was clogged.
• On March 21, 2022, Flight 5735 (operated by China Eastern Yunnan Airlines), a Boeing 737-89P flying from Kunming Changshui International Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, nose dives from 29,100 feet and crashes straight into a mountainous region in Molang Village, Teng County, Guangxi, killing all 123 passengers and 9 crew.

Notes

References

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