China Eastern to expand on overseas travel

China Eastern Airlines Corp, the nation's second-largest carrier by passengers, will accelerate capacity growth in the second half to 10 percent as it adds new planes and boosts international services.

Expansion will focus on overseas routes after a 19 percent increase in nationwide outbound passenger numbers in the first half, Zeng Yongchao, an executive vice-president, said in an interview on Monday in Hong Kong. The Shanghai-based airline expanded passenger capacity 4.6 percent through June.

"We did pretty well in the traditional peak July and August," Zeng said. He didn't elaborate. The carrier rose as much as 2.2 percent in Hong Kong, the most in three weeks.

The airline has boosted international load factors 5 percentage points this year, compared with flat figures at Air China Ltd and China Southern Airlines Co, because of a recovery in demand on Japan flights following last year's earthquake, rising international leisure travel and an upgraded long-haul fleet, according to Jefferies Group Inc.

China Daily-Agencies