China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited, also known as China Eastern, is an airline headquartered in the China Eastern Airlines Building, on the grounds of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Changning District, Shanghai. It is a major Chinese airline operating international, domestic and regional routes. Its main hubs are at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.
China Eastern Airlines is China's second-largest carrier by passenger numbers after China Southern Airlines. China Eastern and its subsidiary Shanghai Airlines became the 14th member of SkyTeam on 21 June 2011. The parent company of China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited is China Eastern Air Holding Company.
History
China Eastern Airlines was established on 25 June 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. The company slogan is World-Class Hospitality with Eastern Charm.The Chinese government has a majority ownership stake in China Eastern Airlines, while some shares are publicly held ; A shares, 6.17%. On 20 April 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 2 September 2007 Singapore Airlines and Temasek Holdings would jointly acquire shares of China Eastern Airlines. On 9 November 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.
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 at the shareholders' meeting in December 2007. However, on 24 September 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. 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.
On 11 June 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 excess 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 authority refused to issue operating license to Jetstar Hong Kong. China Eastern and Qantas subsequently announced the end of the investment.
In April 2013, China Eastern got 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 9 September 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.
China Eastern from 30 June 2015, launched new service to the US, as the Skyteam member plans three weekly Chengdu – Nanjing – Los Angeles operation with Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
In 2017, China Eastern Airlines reported a net profit of CNY6.4 billion, up 41% over net income of CNY4.5 billion in 2016.
On 26 February 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.
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.Codeshare agreements
China Eastern Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:- Aeroflot
- Aerolíneas Argentinas
- Air Europa
- Air France
- Alitalia
- British Airways
- China Airlines
- China Southern Airlines
- China United Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Etihad Airways
- Garuda Indonesia
- Hong Kong Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- Joy Air
- Juneyao Airlines
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Mandarin Airlines
- Qantas
- Royal Brunei Airlines
- Shanghai Airlines
- Sichuan Airlines
- Vietnam Airlines
- WestJet
- XiamenAir
Fleet
China Eastern Airlines was the first Chinese airline to place an order with Airbus. The backbone of the fleet is the A320 series, which are used primarily on domestic flights.
In 2005, China Eastern Airlines placed an order for 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline subsequently cancelled its order owing to continuous delays, instead swapped the 787 order for Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft,
On 18 October 2011, China Eastern Airlines placed an order for 15 Airbus A330s.
On 27 April 2012, China Eastern Airlines ordered 20 Boeing 777-300ERs. The airline received its first 777-300ER aircraft on 26 September 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.
Fleet history
China Eastern Airlines has previously operated the following aircraft:| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
| Airbus A300-600R | 1993 | 2015 | |
| Airbus A300-600RF | 1993 | 2015 | |
| Airbus A310-200 | 1988 | 2006 | |
| Airbus A310-300 | 1988 | 1994 | |
| Airbus A340-300 | 1996 | 2012 | |
| Airbus A340-600 | 2003 | 2015 | |
| Boeing 737-200 | 2001 | 2005 | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 1998 | 2005 | |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 2003 | 2011 | Acquired from China Yunnan Airlines. |
| Bombardier CRJ-200ER | 2004 | 2016 | |
| British Aerospace 146-100 | 1986 | 2009 | |
| British Aerospace 146-300 | 2003 | 2009 | |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | 2005 | 2016 | |
| Fokker 100 | 1992 | 1999 | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | 1991 | 2003 | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11F | 1991 | 2003 | Transferred to China Cargo Airlines |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 1988 | 2007 | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-90 | 1997 | 2010 | |
| Xian MA-60 | Acquired from Wuhan Airlines | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-42 | Acquired from China General Aviation Corporation |
Special liveries gallery
Services
China Eastern offers first class, business class, premium economy, and economy.;First class
China Eastern offers first class on all 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 777 can be turned into a double bed.
;Super premium suites
The super premium suites are found on all A350-900 and B787-9 aircraft. The seats come with 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 China Eastern's narrow-body fleet, business class seats are recliners arranged in an 2-2 configuration. On select A330, business class seats are either Zodiac Cirrus or Thompson Vantage XL which is in a 1-2-1 configuration, or it could be angled flat beds arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration. On its A350 and B787, business class seats are modified Thompson Vantage XL with doors similar to Delta one suites.
On its B777, business class seats are Zodiac Cirrus.
;Premium economy
Premium economy is found on all Boeing B787 and Airbus A350 airplanes.
;Economy
China Eastern offers complimentary meal service and select A330s, all A350s, B777s, and B787s 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. When enough miles are collected, members can be upgraded to Elite membership in three tiers: Platinum, Gold and Silver.Cargo
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.Subsidiaries
Air 123
Air 123 is a subsidiary set up in August 2019 in order to operate Chinese-made aircraft such as the Comac ARJ21 and Comac C919. Prior to adopting its present name, the subsidiary was known as Eastern Jet and provided business jet charter services.China Cargo Airlines
China Eastern Airlines's cargo subsidiary, China Cargo Airlines, is China's first all-cargo airline operating dedicated freight services using China Eastern Airlines' route structure. The cargo airline carries the same logo of China Eastern Airlines.China United Airlines
China United Airlines is a low-cost carrier headquartered in Beijing. It became a subsidiary of China Eastern in 2010.OTT Airlines
OTT Airlines is an airline subsidiary that was launched in February 2020 to operate domestically produced aircraft like the Comac C919 and Comac ARJ21 in the Yangtze Delta region.Incidents and accidents
- On 15 August 1989, an Antonov An-24 operating a domestic flight from Shanghai to Nanchang crashed on takeoff due to an engine failure, killing 34 of 40 people on board.
- On 6 April 1993, China Eastern Airlines 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 of altitude. Two passengers were killed, and 149 passengers and 7 crew members were injured. The aircraft landed safely at Shemya.
- On 26 October 1993, China Eastern Flight 5398 from Shenzhen to Fuzhou, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 crashed near Fuzhou airport after a failed attempt to go around on approach, killing two of 80 on board.
- On 21 November 2004, China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210 from Baotou to Shanghai, a Bombardier CRJ200, crashed in Inner Mongolia one minute after departure, killing all 53 occupants.
- On 11 October 2016, two China Eastern Airlines aircraft were involved in a serious runway incursion incident at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Flight 5643, an Airbus A320, was cleared for takeoff from runway 36L for a domestic flight to Tianjin. As it was accelerating down the runway, China Eastern Airlines Flight 5106, an Airbus A330-343 entered the active runway via taxiway B3. The aircraft had just landed on runway 36R after a flight from Beijing and had reportedly been cleared to taxi to the terminal. It left the runway via B3, crossed taxiway Bravo and entered the active departure runway via taxiway H3. This crossing is located 2110 meters from the threshold of runway 36L and 2400 meters from the point where the A320 began takeoff. The A320 was accelerating through 110 knots when the crew noted the A330 entering the runway. The crew selected TOGA thrust and continued their takeoff. The aircraft rotated at about 130 knots and climbed over the A330 with a separation of just 19 meters.