It is thought that this was due to the massive effort made by Air China to buy the 24% stake.

The new combined airline was expected to have over half of the market share in Shanghai, the financial hub of China.

[18] In March 2012, it was announced that China Eastern was forging a strategic alliance with the Qantas Group to set up Jetstar Hong Kong, a new low cost airline to be based at Hong Kong International Airport, which would commence operations in 2013.

[26] On February 26, 2020, China Eastern Airlines launched OTT Airlines as a subsidiary to operate domestically produced aircraft, such as the Comac C919 and Comac ARJ21, in the Yangtze Delta region in addition to business jet operations.

In 2015, they entered into an equity partnership, with Delta investing $450 million for a 3.55% stake in China Eastern.

This led to significant achievements, including an expanded network with over 170 city pairs and the launch of Trans-China baggage check-through service.

[42] China Eastern Airlines has a strong presence on routes in Asia, North America and Australia.

The airline looks to exploit the domestic market potential as it boosts flight frequencies from Shanghai to other Chinese cities.

In 2007, it began operations to New York City from Shanghai, making it the longest non-stop route for the airline.

In 2016, China Eastern Airlines also launched direct flights from Shanghai to Prague, Amsterdam, Madrid and St.

[citation needed] On 13 November 2024, China Eastern Airlines launched a new service route, Shanghai-Madrid-Lima in collaboration with Spain's Air Europa through a codeshare agreement.

[citation needed] In 2005, China Eastern Airlines placed an order for 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The airline subsequently cancelled its order owing to continuous delays and swapped it for additional Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft.

[65] In April 2016, China Eastern Airlines ordered 20 Airbus A350-900 and 15 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, with deliveries commencing in 2018.

On Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, business class seats are modified Thompson Vantage XL with doors similar to Delta One suites.

[68] Economy ClassChina Eastern offers complimentary meal service and select A330s, all A350s, 777s, and 787s have seatback entertainment.

Members can be upgraded to Elite membership in three tiers: Platinum, Gold and Silver, when meet minimum spending requirement (essential), enough miles or flying sectors.

China United Airlines is a low-cost carrier based in Beijing Daxing International Airport.