China Eastern Airlines (CEA) inked 19 procurement agreements with 18 companies from ten countries and regions, including France, the UAE, Germany, Canada, the U.S., Switzerland, Turkey, and Singapore at the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), which is held in Shanghai between Nov. 5 and 10.
These deals, covering eight categories like aircraft engines, flight simulators, aviation materials, telecommunications, and fresh produce, amounted to over $2.8 billion, setting record highs for CEA’s overall import contract value, contract amount at the CIIE signing ceremony, and transactions at CIIE’s one-year booths.
"As many as 19 procurement agreements would be inked during the event between China Eastern and 18 companies from 10 countries and regions, including France, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Canada, the US, Switzerland, Turkiye, and Singapore," said Wang Zhiqing, chairman of China Eastern Airlines, during a procurement signing ceremony on Wednesday.
CEA is the "core supporter," "purchaser," "service provider," and "nominated airline carrier" for the expo.
As China's visa-free policies continue to expand, CEA now operates approximately 1,373 international and regional passenger flights per week during the winter-spring season, recovering to 102 percent of the 2019 levels. This growth in passenger services has driven demand for aviation-related purchases, such as in-flight dining and services, further enhancing travel experiences.
To improve in-flight dining experiences, CEA has strengthened partnerships with suppliers from Belt and Road partner countries. It has signed contracts worth over $10 million for in-flight catering with companies such as Emirates’ Dnata, Singapore’s SATS, and Germany’s LSG Sky Chefs.
In addition, leveraging its advantages in the aviation logistics supply chain, CEA has signed a major procurement agreement with Canada’s Benson Lobster, committing to import Boston lobsters over the next five years. Using its innovative origin-to-destination charter service model, CEA plans to import fresh products globally on a large scale, ensuring that fresh foods reach Chinese consumers directly from the source.
At this year’s CIIE, CEA further explored new service models for the aviation materials sector. It signed agreements with internationally renowned companies like Boeing, Satair, TurbineAero, and CAE to acquire new products and technologies that enhance operational efficiency.
As a centrally administered state-owned enterprise based in Shanghai and the largest home-based airline in the city, CEA invited eight overseas suppliers to this year’s CIIE. Among them, GE and Honeywell have attended all seven editions of the CIIE at CEA’s invitation. CEA and GE continued their cooperation with a new agreement signed during this year’s expo.
China Eastern currently operates about 1,373 flights to destinations beyond the Chinese mainland on a weekly basis, about 102 percent of the weekly total in 2019, according to China Eastern.
