China Eastern Airlines launches new international route for Spring Festival rush

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Anticipated shifts and developments are on the horizon for this year’s Spring Festival travel surge in China.

During the 2024 Spring Festival travel peak, China Eastern Airlines (CEA) is expanding its international route network.

The airline has intensified its efforts by inaugurating new routes and reinstating previous ones. Among the recent initiatives, it has launched the Beijing Daxing – Kuala Lumpur route and resumed services on the Shanghai Pudong-Cairns, Australia route. Furthermore, CEA plans to introduce 15 additional international routes, such as the Pudong-Perth route, and increase flight frequencies on routes connecting Pudong with Sydney, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Male.

CEA aims to bolster its presence in Southeast Asian island destinations to cater to the surge in travel demand during the Spring Festival. As a result, an influx of passengers from Southeast Asian nations is anticipated to either travel to or transit through China during the festival period.

Over the 40-day duration of the Spring Festival travel peak, CEA intends to operate 2,322 round-trip flights between domestic airports and key Southeast Asian hubs like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.

The newly established Beijing Daxing – Kuala Lumpur route, designated as MU795/796, will offer four round-trip flights weekly.

Currently, CEA serves Kuala Lumpur through four routes: Shanghai Pudong to Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai Pudong to Sabah, Hangzhou to Kuala Lumpur, and Beijing Daxing to Kuala Lumpur, with a total of 340 round-trip flights scheduled during this year’s Spring Festival travel peak.

Moreover, CEA will launch new direct routes from Kunming, Xi’an, Chengdu, and other cities to Kuala Lumpur.

In Singapore, CEA operates eight routes connecting to Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Daxing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Kunming, and more. Similarly, in Thailand, the airline offers direct flights to Shanghai, Kunming, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, and five other destinations, with a planned increase to 66 flights per day during this year’s Spring Festival travel peak.

Aside from Southeast Asia, Australia has emerged as a sought-after destination during the winter months due to its pleasant climate. The recently resumed direct flight route from Shanghai Pudong to Cairns, Australia, marks CEA’s ninth route between China and Australia. Operating from Feb. 1 to Feb. 18, this seasonal route will have flights available every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

In Australia, CEA serves five destinations, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Cairns. With the expansion of routes, CEA aims to enhance convenience for both personnel and trade exchanges between China and Australia.

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