Airlines to slug it out on home turf

SHANGHAI: The merger between China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines has brought to the fore the savage dogfight with Air China as they are trampling on each other's supposed home turfs.

As early as February, Air China, the national carrier, quietly promoted its Shanghai office to a full-fledged branch. Industry observers said the carrier may be planning to move at least a part of its international flights to Shanghai from Beijing.

A news report yesterday said Air China had started the process of eventually shifting 80 percent of its international flights to the Shanghai hub to take advantage of the expected increase in overseas visitors to the World Expo next May.