According to Etihad, the JV, signed at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, marks the first commercial joint venture between Middle Eastern and Chinese airlines. 

The JV will allow the two airlines to develop and grow routes between the UAE and China, resulting in a stronger combined network.

The agreement will offer expanded travel options and seamless travel experiences for passengers traveling between major Chinese cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, and Kunming, and key cities in the UAE and across the Middle East and Africa regions.

The two airlines are also set to introduce full reciprocity to their existing frequent flier programs in the final quarter of 2024, allowing passengers to earn points and redeem rewards when flying with either airline.

The joint venture cooperation will be implemented in early 2025, by which time both airlines should have secured all necessary regulatory clearances. 

“This JV marks a significant milestone in our partnership with China Eastern,” Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways said in a statement. He added that the agreement will allow Etihad and China Eastern to offer travelers enhanced travel options and “exceptional value”.

“We are confident the JV will unlock a new era of travel opportunities, while also boosting the economic growth of Abu Dhabi and the UAE,” Antonoaldo said.

Meanwhile, China Eastern Airlines Chairman Wang Zhiqing has highlighted that 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE.

Wang said that both countries continue to develop and strengthen the “high-value, strategic collaboration on the Belt and Road Initiative”, creating opportunities and motivation for deepening cooperation between China Eastern Airlines and Etihad Airways. 

“The signing of this JV signifies a new level of collaboration, and China Eastern is eager to work with Etihad Airways to expand the cooperation in the various business areas, and thereby enhance the strategic partnership between both airlines,” Wang said.?

Etihad Airways announces global cabin crew recruitment campaign?

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-05-31

The Chinese state-owned manufacturer delivered the aircraft, registered as B-919F, ferrying it from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) on March 2, 2024, as reported by . The two-month-old aircraft, soon to launch passenger services, features a two-class cabin layout accommodating up to 164 passengers.

The B919F marks the final delivery of the initial batch of five C919 aircraft ordered by China Eastern Airlines in 2021. The carrier had previously received four deliveries: the , , and .

China Eastern Airlines introduced the inaugural C919 to its fleet on December 8, 2022, with the second aircraft delivered in July and commencing passenger service in August 2023. The carrier received its third and fourth domestically produced single-aisle passenger jets on December 9, 2023, and January 2, 2024, respectively.

All four aircraft are already operating scheduled passenger flights connecting Shanghai (SHA) and Chengdu (CTU), as indicated by flight history on Flightradar24.com.

In September 2023, China Eastern Airlines made headlines with a groundbreaking almost $10 billion-worth deal with COMAC, placing a substantial order of 100 C919 aircraft. The deal holds the record for the largest single order for C919 narrow-body jets so far.

China Eastern places order for 100 COMAC C919 jets in $9.9 billion deal

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2023-09-29

Per the terms of the agreement with the manufacturer, the Chinese carrier expects to receive up to ten C919s annually between 2025 and 2027. The delivery rate is projected to increase to 15 aircraft per year from 2028 to 2030, reaching its pinnacle with 20 C919s in 2031.

Tibet Airlines places orders for COMAC C919s and ARJ21s at Singapore Airshow??

• Aircraft
• Airlines
• Singapore Airshow

byLuke Peters

2024-02-20

颁丑颈苍补’蝉 C919 program was officially launched in 2009, with the first aircraft rolling off the assembly line in 2015. Positioned as a competitor to narrow-body single-aisle planes such as the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo, the C919 received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on September 29, 2022.

According to COMAC, the C919 stands as the first jetliner entirely developed by a Chinese entity “in accordance with internationally accepted airworthiness standards” and “with independent intellectual property rights.” The manufacturer claims the jet can accommodate between 158 and 168 passengers, offering a range spanning between 4,075 and 5,555 kilometers.

As of January 31, 2024, the C919 had conducted 918 commercial flights, carrying nearly 116,000 passengers in total.

The new codeshare is seen by both carriers as vital for the strengthening of business and leisure connections between the United Kingdom to East Asia and providing greater access to more destinations throughout China.?China remains one of the most important trading partners to the UK and as the country’s largest city, Shanghai is a world-renowned commercial and financial hub.? 

Virgin Atlantic resumed scheduled passenger services in its own right to Shanghai in May 2023, following the COVID pandemic.??

The first phase of the agreement allows Virgin Atlantic customers traveling on the carrier’s daily Boeing 787-9 service between London and Shanghai to connect seamlessly onwards to other destinations in China served by China Eastern using a single booking. Destinations covered under the terms of the agreement include Chengdu, Changsha, Qingdao, Shenzhen, and Xi’an to start with, with others expected to follow.?

The second stage of the agreement will allow China Eastern passengers flying from Shanghai to London-Heathrow to connect to a range of eastbound Virgin Atlantic services to destinations in North America, the Caribbean, and Africa. This part of the agreement remains subject to obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals.??

China Eastern uses Boeing 777-300ERs on its double-daily Shanghai to London-Heathrow services. It also flies a daily service from Shanghai to London-Gatwick Airport, and also regularly serves London-Stansted with its dedicated freighter aircraft.??

“China and East Asia are incredibly important regions for Virgin Atlantic and we were delighted to welcome back our Heathrow to Shanghai service last year, providing vital links to one of the UK’s largest trading partners, for both passenger and cargo services,” said Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic.??

“Our new codeshare with China Eastern, a fellow SkyTeam partner, will serve the continued demand for travel to the region and strengthens our commitment to China and East Asia.? We know these agreements bring plenty of benefits to our customers, from increased network scope to China and beyond, to reciprocal loyalty rewards for our Flying Club members,” he added. 

China Eastern has been a long-term member of the SkyTeam alliance, which Virgin Atlantic joined in 2023. Since November 2023, both airlines have been co-located at Shanghai Pudong Terminal One. With the two airlines under the same roof in Shanghai, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold and Silver members and China Eastern Miles members can take advantage of various SkyPriority services, including priority check-in, boarding, and extra baggage allowances.? 

The codeshare also allows Flying Club members the opportunity to earn Virgin Points and Tier Points on every codeshare flight with China Eastern, with the option to spend Virgin Points on China Eastern flights expected to follow soon.?

Loganair aims to launch world’s first zero emissions passenger air service?

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2024-01-30

? 

A photograph of the in-flight menu was uploaded to Facebook by Conrad Wu, who asked, “China Eastern Airlines Business Class menu, what exactly is it?”

The post drew varied reactions from the public. One commented that it must be an indication of how the airline treats its passengers: like dogs.

Another commented that with the surge of pets traveling in business class or in the cabin with owners, it would not be surprising if the menu really did offer dog food.

The unappetizing dish was classified under the airline’s appetizers, written as “Imported dog food / Okra.” Other dishes offered were Smoked pepper beef / vanilla shrimp. 

It is also interesting to note that one of the soups on the menu was a “Corn Dragon Bone Soup”. 

Restaurants in China are known for their interesting English translations, with some dishes described as “roasted husband” and “human skin”, among many others.

精东影业 has reached out to China Eastern Airlines for clarification on the menu.

Australian competition regulator looks to reject Qantas, China Eastern deal

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-09-15

In a statement released on September 26, 20233, China Eastern confirmed that the airline has been given a “substantial discount” for the jets.??

On May 28, 2023, the first commercial service ever of a COMAC C919 airliner was operated by China Eastern. 

The carrier received its second C919 in July 2023 as part of a previous order for five of the aircraft, with 15 options still on the table. 

According to senior figures at COMAC the order book for the C919 aircraft has already surpassed 1,000 planes. 

Under the agreement for more aircraft, COMAC will deliver five C919 aircraft in 2024 and then 10 a year from 2025 to 2027, increasing to 15 in the following three years and 20 in 2031, China Eastern said.  

According to China Eastern the order will be paid for with its own funds, bank loans and proceeds from bond issues and other financing.  

Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, which make up 颁丑颈苍补’蝉 ‘Big Three’ airlines, are the only three carriers with C919s assigned to them, according to data.?

Global Airlines contract A380 expert firm with first jumbo expected within months

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2023-09-28

China Eastern Airlines received its second C919 in July 2023, months after COMAC delivered the first-ever aircraft of the type to the carrier in December 2022.

However, looking at H1 2023 financial presentations for 颁丑颈苍补’蝉 ‘Big Three’ airlines, only one, China Eastern Airlines, plans to take delivery of the C919 in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Meanwhile, speaking to 颁丑颈苍补’蝉 CGTN in January 2023, Zhang Yujin, the vice president of COMAC, said the Chinese manufacturer plans to “build 150 C919 every year for the next five years”, and has already attracted more than 1,200 orders for the type.

Three C919 deliveries remain in 2023

Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, which make up 颁丑颈苍补’蝉 ‘Big Three’ airlines, are the only three carriers with C919s assigned to them, according to ch-aviation.com data.

Data from the site also shows that Air China has five, China Eastern Airlines has three (excluding two that have already been delivered), and China Southern Airlines has five C919s associated with them.

With 474 aircraft left unassigned to any airline, according to ch-aviation.com data, this could highlight the true order book for the Chinese-made narrow-body jet.

Additionally, the H1 results of all three airlines revealed that only China Eastern Airlines is planning to take in C919s over the next few years.

According to the carrier’s results, which were published on August 30, 2023, as of June 30, 2023, it had a single C919 in its fleet, having taken delivery of the second unit in July 2023. However, looking to the future fleet plan, for the remainder of 2023 China Eastern Airlines plans to take delivery of 22 aircraft while retiring nine.

Out of the 22, four are COMAC C919s, nine COMAC ARJ21s, three Airbus A350-900s, and four A320 family aircraft, with two additional 737 MAXs booked in the airline’s fleet plan for the rest of the year.

However, between 2024 and 2025, it only plans to take delivery of nine COMAC ARJ21s, with no further C919 deliveries planned so far. Meanwhile, China Eastern Airlines has only ordered five aircraft of the type, with 15 options still on the table.

COMAC delivers the second C919 to China Eastern Airlines

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-07-17

Air China, which has also ordered five plus 15 options, per ch-aviation.com, also provided its fleet plan for the rest of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Throughout that time the airline group plans to take delivery of a total of 20 COMAC ARJ21s but has no COMAC C919s arriving during the same period.

Lastly, China Southern Airlines said in its H1 2023 report that its fleet plans have not “changed materially from the information disclosed in the 2022 annual report of the Company”. In the 2022 annual report, the carrier disclosed plans to have 40 ARJ21s by 2025. Again, no COMAC C919s would be present in its fleet at least until 2025.

It also has five aircraft of the type on order, ch-aviation.com data showed.

Furthermore, by the end of 2023, the airline plans to dispose of two remaining Airbus A380s. China Southern Airlines’ last commercial flight with the A380 took place in November 2022, when the aircraft, registered as B-6319, returned to China from the United States (US).

The final chapter: China Southern Airlines’ history with the Airbus A380

• Aircraft

byRytis Beresnevicius

2022-11-25

Aircraft lessors with the majority of C919 orders

However, all of that could still change, given that aircraft lessors hold many of the orders for the type.

14 different lessors split a total of 474 orders for the Chinese-made aircraft, with CCB Financial Leasing having the largest order book at 76. CCB Financial Leasing is a subsidiary of China Construction Bank. The only non-European lessor was CDB Aviation with 60 COMAC C919 orders, registered in Ireland. Even then, it is a subsidiary of China Development Bank, a government-owned entity that provides financing for larger projects within the country.

With lessors in charge of most of the order book and, by extension, the delivery slots, the airlines could take delivery of the C919s with unspecified operators.

But there are more airlines that have ordered the C919, including the HNA Aviation Group, which owns several China-based carriers, including Beijing Capital Airlines, Fuzhou Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Lucky Air, and others. The group ordered a total of 100 COMAC aircraft, split between 60 C919 and 40 ARJ21s in April 2023.

According to Song Hongmou, the director and secretary of the Party Committee at Liaoning Fangda Group, the parent company of HNA Aviation Group, the purchase will help the airline group to optimize its fleet structure.

At the time, Hongmou said the group’s “air transportation capacity and market competitiveness will be greatly improved,” adding that, together with COMAC, the two companies will help “the development of domestic large aircraft industry”.

Notably, the announcement did not specify delivery dates or whether these aircraft would be leased, nor did it specify which of HNA Aviation Group’s airlines would operate them.

Except for confirming it was a firm aircraft order, the announcement only added that the planemaker and the group will “also cooperate in the fields of aircraft import and export, aviation material maintenance, logistics warehousing, new technology application, aviation material support, maintenance support, aircraft configuration optimization, etc.”.

COMAC receives orders for 60 C919 and 40 ARJ21s from HNA Aviation Group

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-04-28

Looking at the fleet date for the largest three airlines, financial results paint a similar picture, namely that their fleets include mixed ownership models.

Out of the 902 aircraft in the Air China group as of June 30, 2023, 357 are owned, 239 are on finance leases, and 306 are on operating leases. Similarly, China Southern Airlines, which had 897 aircraft as of June 30, 2023, owned 321 and booked 238 and 338 under finance and operating leases, respectively.

Finally, China Eastern Airlines owns 282 of its aircraft, has 269 under finance leases, and 231 under operating leases. The carrier’s sole COMAC C919 is operated under a finance lease, according to its H1 2023 results.

Knowing that all three operate aircraft with mixed ownership types, even if the COMAC C919s are unassigned, airlines within China must “be wholly state-owned or state-controlled (including relatively controlled),” according to The Law Review. It also pointed out that 颁丑颈苍补’蝉 Big Three airlines must be state-owned, or state controlled. As such, the government could place the C919s up for grabs with the trio or any other smaller carriers within the country.

Next C919 delivery on the horizon?

China Eastern Airlines is still the only airline in the world to operate the COMAC C919.

Both airline’s current C919s operate between Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), having flown no more than two flights per day since both were introduced into commercial service.

However, when China Eastern Airlines introduced its first C919 into service in May 2023, the airline’s Vice President Feng Dehua said that the type would be introduced on more routes gradually.

China Eastern‘s COMAC C919 update: low utilization and second delivery

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-07-17

Other COMAC C919 airframes that have been active recently are all COMAC test beds. These include B-100F (last flight on September 2, 2023), B-001C (September 4, 2023), and B-001A (September 1, 2023), which briefly appeared on the radar. The remaining test beds (B-001G, B-001E, and B-001D) belonging to COMAC have not flown since July 2023, according to an analysis of flightradar24.com data.

At the time of publication, ch-aviation.com did not show any active or recently active C919 aircraft.

China Eastern COMAC C919 back flying after months-long hiatus

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-05-18

The manufacturer delivered the aircraft, now registered B-919C, on July 16, 2023, ferrying it from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to the city’s other airport, Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). The aircraft has previously been registered B-001K. 

COMAC has been conducting flight tests with the aircraft for the past few weeks, with the airframe taking off and landing at PVG at least five times in July 2023 and four times in June 2023, per flightradar24.com records.  

The aircraft flew for the first time on May 8, 2023, according to ch-aviation.com data. 

“After entering the delivery stage, the pick-up team of China Eastern Airlines cooperated closely with the delivery team of COMAC to meticulously complete all the work such as aircraft appearance inspection, ground test, delivery test flight, bureau inspection, and document handover,” the manufacturer noted in a statement on July 16, 2023. 

According to COMAC, the airline’s second C919 will enter service “in the near future”. 

The Chinese planemaker delivered the first C919 in December 2022, with China Eastern Airlines showing off the aircraft, registered as B-919A, during a much-publicized delivery event. However, the aircraft did not enter commercial service until May 2023, when it returned to the air following an almost two-month hiatus between March 2023 and May 2023. 

China Eastern Airlines has been utilizing the first COMAC C919 to fly between SHA and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU), with the aircraft operating no more than two daily flights since it was introduced into service on May 28, 2023. 

Per the airline’s 2022 annual report, COMAC is scheduled to deliver a total of four C919s in 2023, including B-C919C. China Eastern Airlines has a total of five orders for the type.

China Eastern‘s COMAC C919 update: low utilization and second delivery

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-07-17

The DOT previously approved Chinese airlines to add more flights to the US with a decision issued on May 3, 2023. While the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) “has unilaterally abridged the rights of U.S. carriers”, the DOT allowed China-based carriers to operate up to 12 weekly round-trip flights from China to the US. 

Included in the DOT’s recipient list of the decision were Air China, Beijing Capital Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines. 

According to an analysis by 精东影业 of flightradar24.com data, some routes between China and US still utilize Russian airspace. For example, Air 颁丑颈苍补’蝉 flightCA987 between Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) flew north, across eastern Siberia, before circling down to LAX along Alaska, the coast of Canada, and finally, the US, taking 11 hours and 48 minutes. 

Meanwhile, Air 颁丑颈苍补’蝉 flight CA981 from PEK to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on May 27, 2023, flew across the northern Pacific Ocean, avoiding Russian airspace before crossing into Alaska, Canada, and landing on the east coast of the US. 

At the same time, China Eastern Airlines flight MU588 from JFK to Shanghai Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) crossed the sanctioned country’s airspace, as did China Eastern Airlines flight MU588 from PVG to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). 

In February 2023, assorted senators sent a letter to a group of US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, DOT Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor. “An additional byproduct of the current situation is that it puts U.S. airlines at a competitive disadvantage relative to airlines from other countries willing to do business with Russia,” read the letter, seen by Reuters. The senators also expressed concerns about security risks, citing the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 above eastern Ukraine by Russia-backed separatists. 

Countries such as the US, the European Union (EU), and others, have imposed strict sanctions on Russia’s aerospace sector following the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The country answered with its own sanctions, prohibiting Western airlines’ aircraft to cross its airspace. 

Chinese airlines allowed to operate more flights to the United States

• Airlines

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-05-04

Upon arrival to the Chinese capital’s airport, the China Eastern C919 was greeted with the traditional water cannon salute to mark the occasion.

This C919 is 颁丑颈苍补’蝉 answer to the popular and ubiquitous Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families of aircraft, which have been the workhorse of the global airliner industry throughout the last decades. 

Today’s flight is the culmination of 15 years of development. The C919 program officially launched in 2008 and the first flight took place in 2017.

Over 500 C919s have been ordered, mostly from Chinese airlines and leasing companies. 

The aircraft, registered appropriately as B-919A, is scheduled to operate flight MU9191 on May 28, 2023. The domestically made narrow-body jet will fly between Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) and Beijing Capital Airport (PEK), completing the return journey on the same day. 

Chinese state-owned media outlet Global Times has reported that the airline will operate flights with the COMAC C919 “soon”. 

China Eastern Airlines has previously scheduled flights with the COMAC C919 in February 2023, when the airline’s schedule indicated that the aircraft would operate the flight MU9191 on February 28, 2023. Later, the C919 was replaced with the Airbus A320. 

Local media has reported that the C919 would fly in “the Spring”. 

China Eastern Airlines took delivery of the COMAC C919 in December 2023, the first of the five aircraft of the type it has ordered so far. When it did so, local media also reported that before the jet would enter operations, it would go through a 100-flight-hour test program before carrying passengers on commercial services. 

However, the aircraft abruptly stopped flying in February 2023, before operating a single flight in March 2023. On May 17, 2023, the China Eastern Airlines COMAC C919 began flying once again, operating 19 flights since, according to flightradar24.com records. 

Aiming to compete with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX, the C919 seats between 158 and 192 passengers, flying up to between 4,075 and 5,555 kilometers (2,532 and 3450 miles). Despite being built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), much like the A320neo and 737 MAX, it is powered by the CFM International LEAP-1C engine, while the A320neo and 737 MAX use the LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B respectively.

CFM International is a joint venture between General Electric (GE) and Safran Aircraft Engines.

Airlines buying the A320neo family aircraft also have the option to use the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines. 

China Eastern Airlines’ COMAC C919 is configured in a two-class layout, seating eight Business Class and 156 Economy Class passengers. 

China Eastern COMAC C919 back flying after months-long hiatus

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-05-18