Daxing airport set to spur China Eastern's overseas expansion
China Eastern Airlines will use Beijing's upcoming new airport as an opportunity to expand its international network, especially to destinations in economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, a top company official said.
Industry experts said the Beijing Daxing International Airport, which is expected to open on Sept 30, will play a key role in China's civil aviation, and in the development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
The gigantic airport will also serve as a key transport hub connecting regions relating to the Belt and Road Initiative, said Huang Pu, general manager of China Eastern Airlines' planning and coordination division in Beijing.
According to Huang, the new airport has presented the Shanghai-based carrier with an opportunity for its long-term development, and the carrier is ready to make Beijing its second headquarters.
He Jiankai, general manager of China Eastern's business network operations, agreed. "The Beijing Daxing International Airport will enable China Eastern to obtain more slots for launching international routes from Beijing. Shanghai and Beijing will be China Eastern's two gateways to long-haul routes to overseas destinations."
China Eastern is also ramping up efforts overseas, with focus on Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia this year.
Earlier this year, the carrier launched new flights on routes including Taiyuan-Pudong-Chicago, Pudong-Iwate in Japan, and Guangzhou-Nagoya in Japan. In June and July, it will launch more international flights - Pudong-Budapest, Qingdao-Paris and Dubai. The planned new flights to Paris and London will originate at the new Beijing airport, said He.
In 2018, China Eastern saw a 6 percent year-on-year increase in number of seats on China Eastern aircraft on international routes. It operates direct flights to 11 European destinations: Stockholm, Amsterdam, Paris, Prague, Frankfurt, London (Heathrow) and London (Gatwick), Rome, Madrid, Moscow and St Petersburg. In North America, its direct flights reach seven cities - Toronto in Canada, and San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Hawaii and Chicago in the United States.
"China Eastern will gradually create a complete air network to connect all the major countries and regions related to the (Belt and Road) Initiative in the future," said Liu Shaoyong, chairman of China Eastern Airlines.
According to Liu, China Eastern will better leverage the local infrastructure and network of Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an in Shaanxi province and Kunming in Yunnan province, and make them part of the key links for flights between China and other BRI economies.
The carrier is also seeking opportunities in the logistics sector to connect Chinese cities and destinations in Europe and Southeast Asia.
"There is no direct China Eastern flight to and from Central Asian countries, but we are making progress (in that direction). According to our plan, Xi'an will be an important hub of the Silk Road in the sky, connecting Central Asia and Europe," said He.
Apart from launching more international flights and optimizing local aviation business, China Eastern will strive to build a Silk Road in the sky with the help of an industrial chain. The chain, to be co-built by all the parties concerned, will span segments like aviation manufacturing, air hubs, aviation transportation, maintenance and finance, He said.