Airlines JAL and China Eastern apply for Joint Business Agreement

A memorandum of understanding was signed to pursue an agreement over a Joint Business between the two Asian airlines. Japan Airlines and China Eastern Airlines seek to improve their customer´s convenience and to enhance the quality of the services.

In order to apply for a Joint Business Agreement, the companies will now review regulatory conditions through the authorities.

Initially, both airlines began to work together in 2002 over the course of a codeshare agreement between Japan in China. The intention for a Joint Business furthermore underlines and strengthens the intention of both parties to work together.

The new cooperation is set to generate more traffic between Japan and China and includes JAL´s domestic network with over 50 cities in Japan and China Eastern´s domestic network featuring 80 routes within China.

Yoshiharu Ueki, Chairman of Japan Airlines commented: “We are delighted to announce that China Eastern and JAL plan to broaden our partnership in each market. We look to bring more benefits, more choices, and more value to our customers. We believe this partnership will generate more passenger traffic between the two countries and open up commercial opportunities.”

Ma Xulun, the President of China Eastern Airlines added: “The joint business between China Eastern Airlines and Japan Airlines is a new cooperation on the basis of the broad market prospect in Sino-Japanese routes and the cooperation development trend in global civil aviation industry. This is the common strategic choice for both of us facing the future and customers.”

Xulun furthermore stated, that the cooperation will inject new wind into the Chinese and Japanese aviation market. Not only the two airlines, but also the people between the two sides would benefit and achieve great results.

Japan Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Japan and was established in August 1951. The airline has its operational hubs at Tokyo – Haneda and Narita. JAL´s mainline airline operates an all-Boeing fleet of 50 Boeing B737s, 35 B767s, 40 B777s and 39 B787s. Subsidiary airlines are J-Air, Japan Air Commuter, Japan Transocean Air, Hokkaido Air System and Ryukyu Air Commuter.

China Eastern Airlines is a major Chinese airline, headquartered at Shanghai Airport. The carrier operates with 475 aircraft, including 35 Airbus A319s, 185 A320s, 77 A321s, 45 A330s, 113 Boeing B737s and 20 B777s. With its subsidiaries China Cargo Airlines, China United Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, the carrier flies to 217 destinations.