China Eastern Airlines

"China Eastern" redirects here. For the geographical region, see East China.

China Eastern Airlines (branded as China Eastern) is a major airline in China, headquartered in Changning, Shanghai. It is one of the three major airlines in the country, along with Air China and China Southern Airlines.

China Eastern Airlines
中国东方航空公司

China Eastern Airlines Boeing 777-300ER
IATA ICAO Call sign MU CES CHINA EASTERN
Founded	June 25, 1988; 37 years ago (1988-06-25)
Hubs	Kunming Shanghai–Hongqiao Shanghai–Pudong Xi'an
Secondary hubs	Beijing–Daxing Chengdu–Tianfu Hangzhou Nanjing Qingdao Wuhan Xiamen
Focus cities	Chengdu–Shuangliu Dalian Guangzhou Harbin Hefei Hong Kong Lanzhou Nanchang Ningbo Shenzhen Taiyuan Wuhan Yantai
Frequent-flyer program	Eastern Miles
Alliance	SkyTeam
Subsidiaries	China Cargo Airlines China Eastern Yunnan Airlines China United Airlines Shanghai Airlines
Fleet size	664
Destinations	226[1]
Parent company	China Eastern Air Holding Company Delta Air Lines (3.55%)
Traded as	SSE: 600115 SEHK: 670
Headquarters	No. 36 Hongxiang 3rd Road, Minhang, Shanghai
Key people	Wang Zhiqing (chairman) Liu Tiexiang (president & vice chairman)
Revenue	CN¥132.12 billion (2024)[2]
Operating income	CN¥−3.904 billion (2024)[2]
Net income	CN¥1.618 billion (2024)[2]
Total assets	CN¥276.600 billion (2024)[2]
Total equity	CN¥41.409 billion (2024)[2]
Employees	85,168 (2024)[2]
Website	www.ceair.com

China Eastern Airlines
Simplified Chinese	中国东方航空公司
Traditional Chinese	中國東方航空公司
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōngguó Dōngfāng Hángkōng Gōngsī Wu Romanization Tson平 koh入 Ton平 Fon平 On上 koen平 Gon平 seh平
Abbreviation
Simplified Chinese	东航
Traditional Chinese	東航
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin dōng háng Wu Romanization Ton平 On上

China Eastern's main hubs are Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport both located in Shanghai. In terms of passenger traffic, it is the country's second largest airline after China Southern Airlines. In 2021, its operational revenue was 67,127 million RMB with assets totaling 286,548 million RMB.^[3] China Eastern (along with its subsidiary Shanghai Airlines) became the 14th member of SkyTeam on June 21, 2011.^[4]

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.^[5] China Yunnan Airlines and China Northwest Airlines merged into China Eastern Airlines in 2003.^{[citation needed]} The company slogan is World-Class Hospitality with Eastern Charm (世界品位，东方魅力).^{[citation needed]}

Liu Shaoyong in 2014

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.^[6][7]

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.^[8][9] 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.^[10] 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.^[11][12] However, on September 24, Cathay Pacific announced that it had abandoned these plans.^[13]

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.^[14] 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.^[15]

On June 11, 2009, it was announced that China Eastern Airlines would merge with Shanghai Airlines.^[16] 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.^[17] 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.^{[citation needed]} China Eastern Airlines also acquired China United Airlines in October 2010.^[18]

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.^[19] 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.^[20] 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.^[21]

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.^[22][23]

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.^{[citation needed]}

On September 9, 2014, China Eastern introduced a new logo and new livery.^[24] 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.^[25]

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.^[26]

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.^[27][28]

Corporate affairs

Current headquarters at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, shared with Shanghai Airlines

China Eastern Airlines branch at Beijing Daxing International Airport

Business trends

The key trends for the China Eastern Airlines Group are (as of the financial year ending 31 December):^[29]

	Net profit (RMB b)	Number of employees	Number of passengers (m)	Passenger load factor (%)	Fleet size	References
2013	2.0	68,874	79.0	79.2	478	[30]
2014	3.5	69,849	83.8	79.5	515	[31]
2015	5.0	71,033	93.7	80.5	551	[32]
2016	4.9	75,333	101	81.2	596	[33]
2017	6.8	75,277	110	81.0	637	[34]
2018	2.6	77,005	121	82.2	692	[35]
2019	3.1	81,136	130	82.0	734	[36]
2020	−11.8	81,157	74.6	70.5	734	[37]
2021	−12.2	80,321	79.0	67.7	758	[38]
2022	−37.3	80,193	42.5	63.7	778	[39]
2023	−1.91	81,781	115.62	74.42	782	[40]
2024	1.62	85,168	140.57	82.82	804	[2]

Organizational structure

Organizational Structure

^[41]

Ownership structure

[42]	Owner	Number of shares held	Percentage of shares held
1	China Eastern Airlines Group Co. LTD	7567853802	40.1
2	HKSCC NOMINEES LIMITED	4701157885↓	24.91
3	Shanghai Jidao Hang Enterprise Management Co., LTD	589041096	3.12
4	China Aviation Oil Group Co. LTD	502767895	2.66
5	Delta Air Lines, Inc.	465910000	2.47
6	Shanghai Reed Information Technology Consulting Co. LTD	465838509	2.47
7	China Eastern Financial Holding Co. LTD	457317073	2.42
8	China Securities Finance Co. LTD	429673382	2.28
9	Shanghai Juneyao (Group) Co. LTD	311831909	1.65
10	China State-owned Enterprise Restructuring Fund Co., LTD	273972602	1.45

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.^[43]

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%)^[44]
• 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.^[18]
• 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.^[27][28]

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.^{[citation needed]}

On 13 November 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.^[45]

Interline agreements

China Eastern Airlines have interline agreements with the following airlines:^{[citation needed]}

• Royal Brunei Airlines
• Singapore Airlines

Codeshare agreements

China Eastern Airlines have codeshare agreements with the following airlines:^[46]

• Aeroflot
• Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Air Europa^[47]
• Air France^[48]
• British Airways
• China Airlines
• CRH (Railway) ^{[49] [50]}
• China United Airlines (Subsidiary)
• Delta Air Lines
• Etihad Airways
• Garuda Indonesia
• Hong Kong Airlines
• Japan Airlines
• Juneyao Air ^[51]
• Kenya Airways
• KLM
• Korean Air
• LATAM Chile^[52]
• Loong Air^[53]
• Mandarin Airlines
• Qantas
• Royal Brunei Airlines^[54]
• Saudia^[55]
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Shanghai Airlines (Subsidiary)
• Sichuan Airlines
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic^[56]
• WestJet
• XiamenAir

Fleet

Current fleet

China Eastern Airlines Airbus A319-100

China Eastern Airlines Airbus A320-200 in 2015

China Eastern Airlines Airbus A320neo in 2020

China Eastern Airlines Airbus A330-200 in 2020

China Eastern Airlines Airbus A330-300 in 2019

China Eastern Airlines Airbus A350-900 in 2018

China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 in 2018

China Eastern Airlines Boeing 777-300ER in 2015

China Eastern Yunnan Airlines Boeing 787-9 in 2019

China Eastern Airlines Comac C919-100STD in 2022

As of June 2025^[update], 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.^[57]

China Eastern Airlines fleet

Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers[58][59][60]					Notes
			F	J	W	Y	Total
Airbus A319-100	32	—	—	8	—	114	122
Airbus A320-200	145	—	—	8	—	150	158
Airbus A320neo	120	18	—	8	18	132	158	Second largest operator.
Airbus A321-200	74	—	—	20	—	155	175
				12		166	178
						170	182
Airbus A321neo	16	52	—	12	—	186	198
Airbus A330-200	30	—	—	30	—	202	232	Largest operator.
						204	234
				24		240	264
				18		246	264
Airbus A330-300	26	—	—	38	—	262	300
				32	32	230	294
Airbus A350-900	20	—	4[61]	36	32	216	288
Boeing 737-700	36	—	—	8	—	126	134
				—		140	140
Boeing 737-800	100	—	—	20	—	138	158
				12		150	162
				8		162	170
					18	150	176
Boeing 737 MAX 8	4	7[62][63]	—	8	18	150	176	Deliveries through 2024.[62]
Boeing 777-300ER	20	—	6	52	—	258	316
Boeing 787-9	4	1[64][a]	4[67]	26	28	227	285	Deliveries through 2024.[64]
Comac C909	27	13	—	—	—	90	90	Deliveries through 2025. Transferred from OTT Airlines.
Comac C919-100STD	10	95[68]	—	8	—	156	164	Launch customer. Order with 15 options.[69] Deliveries through 2031.[68]
Total	664	186

Fleet developments

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.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, China Eastern Airlines placed an order for 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline subsequently cancelled its order owing to continuous delays and swapped it for additional Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft.^[70]

On October 18, 2011, China Eastern Airlines placed an order for 15 Airbus A330s.^[71][72]

China Eastern Airlines ordered 20 Boeing 777-300ERs and received its first 777-300ER aircraft on September 26, 2014.^[73]

In 2015, the airline acquired a further batch of 15 Airbus A330 aircraft for delivery in 2017 and 2018.^[74]

In April 2016, China Eastern Airlines ordered 20 Airbus A350-900 and 15 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, with deliveries commencing in 2018.^[64]

In May 2021, China Eastern Airlines introduced five A320neos and one ARJ21. At the end of the month, the company operated a total of 738 aircraft.^[75]

Former fleet

China Eastern Airlines Airbus A300-600R in 2013

Airbus A310-222 of China Eastern Airlines at the Beijing Civil Aviation Museum

China Eastern Airlines Airbus A340-300 in 1997

China Eastern Airlines BAe 146-100 in 1993

China Eastern Airlines Boeing 767-300ER

China Eastern Airlines Fokker 100 in 1995

China Eastern Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-11 in 1995

China Eastern Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 in 2008

China Eastern Airlines Xian Y-7-100C at Tianjin Binhai International

China Eastern Airlines has previously operated the following aircraft:^{[citation needed]}

China Eastern Airlines Retired Fleet

Aircraft	Total	Introduced	Retired	Notes
Airbus A300-600R	10	1989	2015
Airbus A300-600RF	3	1993	2015
Airbus A310-200	3	1988	2006
Airbus A310-300	2	1988	1994
Airbus A318-100	1	2012	2020	Operated for China Eastern Airlines Executive Air.[citation needed]
Airbus A340-300	5	1996	2012
Airbus A340-600	5	2003	2015
Boeing 737-200	3	2001	2005
Boeing 737-300	26	1998	2014
Boeing 767-300ER	3	2003	2011	Acquired from China Yunnan Airlines.
Bombardier CRJ-200ER	5	2004	2016	Acquired from China Yunnan Airlines. All aircraft remained in the Yunnan landscape special livery previously painted by China Yunnan Airlines.
BAe 146-100	6	1986	2009
BAe 146-300	7	2003	2009
Embraer ERJ-135	5	2012	2021	Operated for China Eastern Airlines Executive Air.[citation needed]
Embraer ERJ-145	10	2005	2016
Fokker 100	10	1992	1999
McDonnell Douglas MD-11	4	1991	2003
McDonnell Douglas MD-11F	2	1991	2003	Transferred to China Cargo Airlines.
McDonnell Douglas MD-82	16	1988	2007
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30	9	1997	2010
Short 360	4	1988	1994	[76]
Xian MA-60	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known	Acquired from Wuhan Airlines.
Yakovlev Yak-42	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known	Acquired from China General Aviation Corporation.

Special liveries gallery

In flight from Kunming to Chongqing

• 
  Airbus A330-343 in 2011 Xi'an International Horticultural Expo Livery
• 
  Airbus A320-232 in 2011 Xi'an International Horticultural Expo Livery
• 
  Airbus A330-343 in EXPO Shanghai 2010 Livery
• 
  Boeing 737-800 in special livery for promotion of tourism in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
• 
  China Eastern Yunnan Airlines Boeing 737-800 in Purple Peacock Livery
• 
  Airbus A330-343 in People's Daily Online Livery
• 
  Airbus A330-343 in Xinhua News Livery
• 
  Airbus A330-343 in Shanghai Disney Resort Livery
• 
  Airbus A330-343 in Toy Story livery
• 
  Airbus A321-231 in SkyTeam livery
• 
  Boeing 737-800 in Duffy the Disney Bear livery
• 
  Boeing 737-800 in Frozen livery
• 
  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 sliding door and a minibar. The middle seats can be turned into a living room with seating for four.^[61][67]

Business class on a Boeing 777-300ER

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.^[77] 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.^[78]

Economy Class

China Eastern offers complimentary meal service and select A330s, all A350s, 777s, and 787s have seatback entertainment.^[79]

Economy class on a Boeing 777-300ER

Economy class on an Airbus A330-200

Eastern Miles

China Eastern Airlines's frequent-flyer program is called Eastern Miles (simplified Chinese: 东方万里行; traditional Chinese: 東方萬里行). 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.^[80]

Cargo

Main article: China Cargo Airlines

China Cargo Airlines Boeing 747-400ERF

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.^[81] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[82]
• 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.^[83]
• 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 5,000 feet (1,500 m) 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.^[84]
• 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.^[85]
• 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.^[86][87][88]

See also

• China portal
• Aviation portal
• Companies portal

• Civil aviation in China
• List of airlines of the People's Republic of China
• List of airports in China
• List of companies of the People's Republic of China
• Transport in China
• China Cargo Airlines (Cargo King)

Notes

1. China Eastern placed an order of 15 Boeing 787-9, of which 10 aircraft will be operated by its subsidiary Shanghai Airlines.^[65][66]