Category Archives: China Eastern Airlines

China Eastern takes delivery of first COMAC C919

China Eastern Airlines took delivery the first C919 aircraft, with registration of B-919A, on December 9, 2023.

China Eastern issued this statement:

On December 9, 2023 the world’s first C919 aircraft, with registration number of B-919A, was delivered to its world’s first launch customer, China Eastern Airlines (CEA).

The C919 is China’s first homegrown large passenger aircraft in accordance with international airworthiness standards, and owns independent intellectual property rights.

It features advanced aerodynamic design, propulsion system and materials, as well as lower carbon emission and higher fuel efficiency.

The aircraft adopts a 164-seat configuration that comes with a two-class cabin layout, including 8 business class seats and 156 economy class ones. In the economy cabin, the middle seat in each three-seat row is 1.5 cm wider than its neighboring ones, which offers more comfortableness.

With an aisle height of 2.25 meters, the plane comes with an efficient air filtration system, a passenger-centric lighting system and low noise.

Besides, there are twenty 12” drop-down screens that can play 1080P videos.

On the day of the delivery, a maiden flight of the C919 aircraft was made by three senior CEA pilots from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.

After arriving at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and passing through a water gate, the aircraft was officially commissioned into the fleet of CEA. It is expected to be put into commercial use in the spring of 2023.

CEA, as the world’s first airline operator for C919, boasts a fleet of nearly 800 airplanes. It has rich operational experience and enjoys comprehensive advantages. Passengers will soon be able to catch an early experience of the superior and reliable performance of the C919 with CEA.

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Was China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 crash intentional?

New speculation is developing that China Eastern flight MU5735 may have been the result of an intentional action by either the crew, an individual or another party. The aircraft was put into a dive.

From Reuters:

“Investigators looking into the crash of a China Eastern Airlines jet are examining the actions of the crew on the flight deck, with no evidence found of a technical malfunction, two people briefed on the matter said.

In mainland China’s deadliest aviation disaster for 28 years, the Boeing 737-800 crashed in the mountains of southern Guangxi on March 21, after a sudden plunge from cruising altitude, killing all 123 passengers and nine crew.”

Boeing statement on China Eastern Airlines flight MU 5735

Boeing issued this short statement on China Eastern Airlines flight MU 5735:

“We extend our deepest condolences for the loss of those on board China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735. Our thoughts and prayers are with the passengers and crew, their families and all those affected by this accident.

Boeing will continue to support our airline customer during this difficult time.

In addition, a Boeing technical team is supporting the NTSB and the Civil Aviation Administration of China who will lead the investigation.”

China Eastern Airlines flight MU 5735 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Kunming to Guangzhou in China. On March 21, 2022, the Boeing 737-89P aircraft (B-1791) descended steeply mid-flight and struck the ground at high speed in Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, killing all 123 passengers and 9 crew members.

Flight MU735 from Kunming to Guangzhou with 132 on board crashed into a forest on March 21, 2022

Above Copyright Photo: China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-89P WL B-1791 (msn 41474) (Yunnan Peacock) PEK (Michael B. Ing). Image: 957101.

China Eastern Airlines aircraft slide show:

China Eastern Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 B-1791 crashes in Guangxi Province with 132 people on board

China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 with 123 passengers and 9 crew members crashed in a mountainous region in Wuzhou, with the explosion setting off a fire in the woods.

The aircraft involved is Boeing 737-89P B-1791.

Note: This is NOT a Boeing 737 MAX.

Flight MU5735 left Kunming at 13:11 local time (05:11 GMT) and was scheduled to arrive Guangzhou at 15:05.

According to Flightradar24 “flight MU5735 was flying from Kunming to Guangzhou. It took off from Kunming at 05:11 UTC. It was cruising at 29.100 feet until 06:20:59 when it suddenly started to lose altitude very fast.”

The airliner was in the air for over an hour when it suddenly dived into a mountain and start a fire in a forrest.

Tragically there is no sign of survivors.

China Eastern issued this statement:

Flight MU735 from Kunming to Guangzhou with 132 on board crashed into a forest on March 21, 2022

Above Copyright Photo: B-1791 was painted in the special “Yunnan Peacock” livery. China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-89P WL B-1791 (msn 41474) (Yunnan Peacock) PEK (Michael B. Ing). Image: 957100.

More details to follow.

Airbus delivers first A350 from its widebody completion and delivery center in China

Airbus has delivered the first A350 from its widebody completion and delivery center in Tianjin (C&DC), China, taking additional steps in the expansion of its global footprint and long-term strategic partnership with China.

The A350-900 aircraft was delivered to China Eastern Airlines, the largest Airbus operator in Asia and second largest in the world. At the end of June 2021, China Eastern Airlines operated an Airbus fleet of 413 aircraft, including 349 A320 Family aircraft, 55 A330 Family aircraft and nine A350 aircraft.

“I’m proud that Airbus successfully extended the capability of the widebody C&DC in Tianjin to the A350, the latest new generation aircraft, at such a difficult time of global aviation,” said George Xu, Airbus Executive Vice President and Airbus China CEO. “This is a new milestone in the long-term cooperation between China and Airbus, which further demonstrates Airbus’ commitment to the country. Congratulations to China Eastern Airlines, our long-term strategic partner, for receiving the first A350 delivered from China, and I appreciate their trust in Airbus and in our products as always.”

Located at the same site as the Airbus Tianjin A320 Family Final Assembly Line and the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre, the widebody C&DC covers the aircraft completion activities, including cabin installation, aircraft painting and production flight test, as well as customer flight acceptance and aircraft delivery.

The centre was inaugurated in September 2017 with its capability on A330s. Then, during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to China in 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding on the Further Development of Industrial Cooperation was signed in Beijing by He Lifeng, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, and Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer, announcing the C&DC would extend its capability to A350 aircraft.

The A350 features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon-fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these features translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions. The A350’s ‘Airspace by Airbus’ cabin is the quietest of any widebody aircraft and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience.

At the end of June 2021, the A350 Family had received 915 firm orders from 49 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.

Air France-KLM and China Eastern Airlines to reinforce their partnership

Air France-KLM has made this announcement:

In the context of the participation of China Eastern Airlines to the share capital increase of Air France-KLM, both airline groups have decided to extend the scope of their partnership through:

     an intensified commercial cooperation and an extended collaboration to noncommercial related activities (e.g. ground services, catering or maintenance) ;

      an increased footprint on the Beijing market, with the Paris-Beijing and Amsterdam-Beijing routes joining the current Joint Venture existing between Air France-KLM and China Eastern Airlines when conditions are satisfied.

Air France-KLM and China Eastern Airlines are historical partners, with a codeshare cooperation that started in 2000 on the Paris-Shanghai route, a first Joint Venture agreement signed between Air France and China Eastern Airlines in 2012, and an extension of this
agreement to KLM in 2016. China Eastern Airlines took an equity stake in Air France-KLM in 2017, shaping the ambition for a long term strategic partnership.

With this expansion of the cooperation between Air France-KLM and China Eastern Airlines, both airline groups clearly are clearly paving the way to create the most efficient and powerful Joint Venture between Europe and China.

China Eastern flies vaccines to the Dominican Republic

China Eastern flies vaccines to Dominican Republic.

China Eastern Airlines has made this announcement:

A new batch of vaccines developed by Chinese pharmaceutical companies Sinopharm and Sinovac was delivered on March 18 by China Eastern Airlines from Beijing to the Dominican Republic, according to the Shanghai-based airline.

After 17 hours 34 minutes’ flight, the vaccines and syringes traveled 15,988 kilometers to arrive at Santo Domingo, the capital of Dominican Republic.

This is China’s first intercontinental chartered cargo flight to deliver COVID-19 vaccines. Eastern Air Logistics Co, the freight unit under China Eastern Airlines, was in charge of this flight.

Dominican Republic Vice-President and Head of Health Cabinet Raquel Pena welcomed the arrival of the Chinese developed vaccines at the airport, saying the Chinese vaccines brought hope to the Dominican Republic’s people.

Quite a few countries have expressed their willingness to purchase and use China’s COVID-19 vaccines. Shipping via air is the best transportation solution when it comes to convenience, efficiency and safety.

China Eastern reduces its grounded fleet at Shanghai to zero

China Eastern Airlines has made this announcement:

The grounded fleet size of China Eastern Airlines has fallen to zero at its Shanghai base, the carrier said in a note sent to the Global Times on March 12, 2021, another sign that the aviation market is recovering.

At present, China Eastern’s average daily passenger flight volume has recovered to about 2,400. It is expected that there will be a surge in travel during the upcoming Chinese traditional festivals such as Qingming Festival and the May Day holidays.

The carrier said it will add flights between cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou in South China’s Guangdong Province and Chengdu in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province in the future.

In 2020, the epidemic brought huge challenges to the global aviation industry. The global air transport volume dropped by 60 percent to 70 percent compared with the previous year. The parking problem of a large number of aircraft also became prominent as more and more airports simply became parking lots.

According to statistics from the International Air Transport Association, 13,700 aircraft, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total fleet in global were grounded.

China’s major domestic airlines have also reduced the number of flights. Meanwhile, many of the parked planes have either been overhauled or modified, and they must be inspected and maintained regularly in order to avoid corrosion of the aircraft and degradation of battery performance.

China Eastern Airlines has been the least badly affected among China’s three major airlines in terms of grounded aircraft.

China Eastern Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

China Eastern Airlines aircraft slide show:

China Eastern Airlines officially signs a purchase contract for five C919 aircraft

COMAC has issued this statement:

As the world’s first launch customer of the China-made trunk liner C919, China Eastern Airlines officially signed a purchase contract of C919 aircraft with Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) in Shanghai on March 1, 2021.

Five C919 aircraft would be introduced in the first batch, and China Eastern Airlines would become the world’s first airline to operate C919 aircraft. This is an important step for China Eastern Airlines in the introduction and commercial operation of the China-made trunk liner as a pioneer after the successful establishment of One Two Three Airlines (OTT Airlines) to operate China-made ARJ21 aircraft and in the first year to implement the 14th Five-Year Plan.

C919 aircraft is a large jet aircraft independently developed by China and owns independent intellectual property right. The aircraft has completed its maiden flight at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on May 5th, 2017. Since the beginning of the development of C919 aircraft, China Eastern Airlines has been striving to become a facilitator of the improvement and optimization of China-made civil aircraft, an explorer of commercial operation mode and a pioneer of market operation. China Eastern Airlines has signed a launch customer agreement and a Letter of Intent for purchasing C919 aircraft with COMAC in 2010; signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement with COMAC in November 2016 during the 11th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, becoming the world’s first user of C919 aircraft; signed an ARJ21-700 Aircraft Sales Agreement with COMAC in Beijing in August 2019; taken the lead among large state-owned backbone air transport enterprises to set up the first airline specialized in the operation of China-made civil aircraft, i.e., OTT Airlines, in February 2020 during the most severe period of the epidemic of COVID-19, and officially put the China-made ARJ21 aircraft into operation.

China Eastern Airlines has been deeply involved in the design and development of C919 aircraft, trained and provided the first C919 flight crew to fly a jet as a companion during the maiden flight of C919 aircraft, and provided suggestions from the perspectives of customer use and maintenance. Relying on the industrial chain partnership and the geographical advantage of being both in Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines and COMAC have constantly promoted cooperation and innovation on the industrial chain, and jointly explored new practices in the commercial operation of C919 aircraft.