Three Chinese airlines have applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for new European routes.

Jackie Chen writing for Business Traveller reports that China Eastern, Juneyao and Beijing Capital Airlines have applied for permits. Shanghai Airlines (a previously unknown entity in Europe) has also made a bid for the European market.

Over the past five years, nine other airlines were granted permission to fly between China and Europe, according to CAPA. Of these permissions, 11 new routes have been granted and are scheduled to begin this summer.

The latest applications

China Eastern Airlines – China’s second largest carrier – has this month applied for a route between the eastern coastal city of Wenzhou and Milan, Italy. It hopes to have a twice-weekly return service in place by October this year.

Juneyao Airlines, founded in 2005, has applied for routes between Shanghai Pudong airport, Manchester and Athens. The company expects thrice-weekly services between Pudong and Manchester to commence in March 2020.

If these and other applications are approved, there will be a further 10 new routes from China to Europe this year, according to CAPA.

China Eastern Airlines: Milan

At the moment Air China is the sole operator of daily non-stop flights between Milan, Beijing and Pudong. Italian carrier Neos flies twice weekly from the 'Fashion Capital of the World' to Nanjing Lukou, and once a week to Guiyang Longdongbao.

China Eastern Airlines hopes the upward trend in its revenue will be further sustained by its entry into the Italian theater. Together with Air China and China Southern, it enjoys a 61% share of the international custom of Chinese airlines.

Juneyao Airlines: Manchester and Athens

Hainan Airlines is the only Far Eastern consortium to offer flights between Beijing and Manchester. It flies four times a week between the two cities. Flights to Athens are at present only operated by Air China.

Shanghai-based Juneyao Airlines hopes to cash in on the rising tide of Chinese dominance in Europe with its services to Manchester and Athens. Since the arrival of its B787s the airline has looked to grow its international network.

In October last year we reported on the carrier's launching of direct flights to Helsinki. And at the start of this year, Mavis Toh for Flight Global wrote that the airline was also “seeking rights to launch services to Vladivostok, London and Cairo.”

Beijing Capital Airlines: Far East

Beijing Capital Airlines (a low-cost subsidiary of Hainan Airlines) has already cashed in on the lucrative European market. In July of 2017, it made an inaugural flight between Hangzhou and Lisbon with a stopover in Beijing.

In the same year, BCA inaugurated the Beijing to Macau route. The carrier is now eyeing a thrice-weekly Qingdao-Okinawa service which it hopes to begin in July this year.

Far East expansion

In addition to Beijing Capital Airlines' application for Qingdao-Okinawa, the CAAC has also received applications from other airlines for routes to Japan and Korea.

However, it is the market between China and Western Europe that has experienced the most growth in the past five years. In 2014, there were only 14 Chinese airlines serving European routes. Today there are 23, according to CAPA.

A burgeoning economy and a glut of successful trade agreements with European nations seem to be serving China well. China’s significantly untapped aviation sector and growing population look likely to bolster the dominance of its carriers in Europe.

Furthermore, the difficulties faced by European airlines in the current market may only make things easier for the Red Giant.