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China Eastern Airlines plans to boost capacity by around eight to 10 percent annually over the next few years as the Shanghai-based carrier moves to expand its international network amid surging demand for outbound travel, executive director Luo Zhuping said.
China's second-biggest airline by fleet size after China Southern Airlines, aims to raise the proportion of its total revenue from international services to 50 percent in two years, from an expected 35 percent at the end of 2010, Luo told Dow Jones Newswires.
He said the airline was considering new routes, as well as increased frequencies, on both regional and long-haul services, but declined to elaborate. International routes are typically more profitable for Chinese airlines than domestic services, which face strong price competition as well as government controls on some fares.
"We are in an unprecedented period of expansion for the Chinese aviation industry, with the growth rate better than we originally expected," said Luo, adding he expects the current strength in the air-travel market to last at least until the first half of 2012.
Cargonews Asia
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