China Eastern Air Holding Co. Ltd (China Eastern) had over 2.34 million hours of flight time and 116 million passengers in 2023, a year-on-year growth of 108.3 percent and 173.4 percent, respectively.
The company reliably supported the rapidly-increased travel demand while launching new flights linking China and the world throughout the year.
For example, it opened a Shanghai-Istanbul flight in September and on Dec 11 launched a Shanghai-Cairo flight.
China Eastern's flight network is now connecting more and more major economic entities, including countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and BRICS countries. It aims to build a flight network covering Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa and Oceania.
In 2023, China Eastern improved the ecological circle of the aviation industrial chain, pushed forward digital, smart and green transformation and upgrading of the traditional industry, developed strategic emerging industry and worked on deployment of the industry of the future.
On May 28, 2023, the company completed the commercial maiden flight of the China-developed C919 large passenger aircraft, making it the world's first airline to operate the aircraft. At present, the company has four C919 aircrafts in service and inked orders for 100 more with Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., developer of the C919, on Sept 28. The order made China Eastern the world's largest C919 user.
The company also endeavored to serve economic and social development in various regions of the country and contributed to international events like the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province and the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province.
China Eastern also participated in the sixth China International Import Expo as a core supporter and the official air carrier of the expo and a purchaser and a supplier. At the expo, the company inked agreements worth nearly $2.55 billion.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
