China Eastern Airlines - VibeWire Magazine

Explosive Growth: How & Why China’s Air Links With Saudi Arabia Have Boomed In Recent Times

China-Saudi direct flights are booming, transforming tourism and business ties.

Airbus delivered two Airbus A321neo aircraft to China Eastern Airlines at the end of October.

Virgin Atlantic will completely exit China this winter, while British Airways is axing its Beijing route, leaving only Shanghai.

Routes make the world go round.

China’s airlines soar in summer: Passenger numbers up 5.7%, international routes at 94.7% of 2019 levels. Air China leads with 40% growth.

China Eastern merges OTT Airlines, absorbing ARJ21s into its fleet and taking on greater political responsibility as a state-owned enterprise.

COMAC C919 hits 500,000th passenger milestone 15 months after launch, with more airlines set to adopt the aircraft.

China’s 144-hour visa-free policy boosts tourism, benefiting Chinese airlines’ expansion while challenging foreign carriers amid competition.

Six years later, the ARJ21 program once again urgently needs new orders, customers, or solutions to address overcapacity issues.

The three largest are owned by the Chinese government.