China Eastern Air Holding Co. Ltd (China Eastern) and the government of South China's Hainan province signed an agreement for cooperation on June 13 at the Hainan Free Trade Port's first main project signing event.
According to the agreement, China Eastern, with its partners Hainan Communications Investment Holdings Co., Ltd., Sanya Development Holdings Co., Ltd., Juneyao Airlines Co., Ltd. and Ctrip Travel Network Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., will establish Sanya International Airlines Co., Ltd., a joint-venture company, which will be the beginning of its service in the Hainan Free Trade Port.
China Eastern will take advantage of its airline industrial cluster and promote airline economy and develop the airport industry to boost development of all industries in Hainan.
The cooperation will cover various aspects including passenger transport, air logistics, air food, air finance and aviation industrial investment as well as innovation and technology in related fields.
The company will contribute to building an Air Silk Road to link Hainan and the world.
The joint-venture airline – Sanya International Airlines Co., Ltd. – will be an iconic result of the cooperation, based in Hainan and providing innovative service to the whole world.
The new airline will make full use of the resources and recruit international crew members as well as management and technical talents to develop high-quality and build a regional air brand in Hainan.
The Hainan government is at present building a high-standard pilot free trade zone and free trade port.
Given Hainan's special location, air transport has been a main method to travel to other regions.
The free trade port with Chinese characteristics in Hainan intends to improve the island's international openness by making full use of the air transport advantage and establishing a more convenient and widely-reaching air transport network.
It will also be an opportunity for airlines to improve their competitiveness relying on the port's preferential policies.
It's worth mentioning that cooperation between China Eastern and the Hainan government is a significant step in bringing the local market into China Eastern's international flight network, which already contains 1,036 destinations in 170 countries.
It will effectively improve coverage of Hainan's passenger and freight transport and promote high-speed development of tourism, trade and service industries in the free trade port.
One of the earliest airlines to have business in Hainan, China Eastern founded its office in Haikou of Hainan in 1998 and in 2001 set up another office in Sanya.
In recent years, the company has paid more attention to the province and has opened flights in three airports in Haikou, Sanya and Qionghai, carrying nearly three million passengers every year.
China Eastern will participate in construction of the Hainan free trade port. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
