China Eastern Airlines is one of the most important Chinese carriers in today's commercial aviation industry. Headquartered in Shanghai, it has hubs and operating bases throughout the country, and a diverse fleet that allows it to serve a range of destinations. China Eastern also has several subsidiary airlines under its belt, and will turn 34 years old in 2022.
China Eastern Airlines came into existence almost 34 years ago, in June 1988. It grew quickly in its first decade of operating, by making acquisitions and offering shares on an international level. Its prosperity has continued in the 21st century, in the form of further merges and the establishment of subsidiary airlines. It presently flies more than 600 aircraft.
Formed by the split of CAAC Airlines
1988 was a momentous year for commercial aviation in China. CAAC Airlines previously had a monopoly on civil air travel in the country, due to it being a branch of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. However, after 36 years of operations, it split into six carriers in 1988, with each serving a specific region, as China Eastern Airlines' name suggests.
Nine years after its formation, the newly-formed China Eastern Airlines, whose headquarters are in Shanghai, made its first acquisition. This saw it take over 10-year-old Taiyuan-based carrier China General Aviation. It also began offering international shares at this point.
Growth at the turn of the century
Moving into the 21st century, China Eastern Airlines continued to show strong growth. It ended the 1990s by delving into the airfreight market, when it founded China Cargo Airlines in association with the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO).
On the passenger-carrying front, China Eastern underwent a significant expansion in the 2002/03 period. This was when the carrier merged both China Yunnan Airlines and China Northwest Airlines into its operations. The latter of these operators was one of the six carriers initially formed by the aforementioned breakup of CAAC Airlines in 1988.
The end of the 2000s saw further expansion at China Eastern. It first acquired Shanghai Airlines in 2009. This carrier continues under its own branding, albeit as a China Eastern subsidiary. This is also the case for low-cost China United Airlines, which it bought in 2010.
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Recent developments
In recent years, Chinese-built commercial aircraft have played an increasingly significant role at China Eastern Airlines. For example, data from ch-aviation.com shows that the carrier has begun receiving examples of the COMAC ARJ21-700, which fly for another subsidiary, OTT Airlines. OTT will also become the launch operator of the upcoming COMAC C919 twinjet.
In July 2021, China Eastern Airlines also took delivery of the first Chinese-built Airbus A350-900. This is one of several links that the carrier has to Europe, with another being the fact that it owns around 10% of shares in the Air France-KLM group. This partnership makes sense, given that China Eastern, along with Air France and KLM, is a SkyTeam member.
What do you make of China Eastern Airlines? Is it a carrier that you have particular memories of flying with? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.