Ann: GENERAL: AIA: AIA Inaugural China Eastern Airlines seasonal...

• Release Date: 10/12/14 08:43
• Summary: GENERAL: AIA: AIA Inaugural China Eastern Airlines seasonal flght arrives
• Price Sensitive: No
• Download Document  4.05KB

					AIA
10/12/2014 08:43
GENERAL
NOT PRICE SENSITIVE
REL: 0843 HRS Auckland International Airport Limited

GENERAL: AIA: AIA Inaugural China Eastern Airlines seasonal flght arrives

Media Release | 9 December 2014

Inaugural China Eastern Airlines seasonal flight arrives at Auckland Airport

Auckland Airport has today welcomed the first flight of China Eastern
Airlines' new seasonal Shanghai to Auckland service.
The inaugural seasonal flight was welcomed with a powhiri at Auckland
Airport. Norris Carter, Auckland Airport's general manager aeronautical
commercial, says the seasonal service will add an extra 47,000 seats on the
Shanghai to Auckland route, contributing an estimated $54 million to the New
Zealand economy over the peak summer period.
"The new service from China Eastern Airlines will see direct flights
operating between Shanghai and Auckland during the peak New Zealand period of
December 2014 to March 2015," says Mr Carter.  "The service will initially
operate four flights per week and will increase to seven flights per week in
January 2015."
"Shanghai is China's largest city and we have been experiencing impressive
growth from this market recently.  In the year ending June 2014, we saw a 20
per cent increase in passenger numbers arriving from Shanghai when compared
to the year before.  This equates to a remarkable 36,000 visitors arriving
from Shanghai over the 12 month period and indicates the strong potential for
the future expansion of this market."
"With the introduction of this new service, we also now have two direct
carriers on the Shanghai to Auckland route.  We expect this increase in
capacity will lead to double digit growth from the Shanghai market during the
peak New Zealand summer period."
"China is New Zealand's second largest tourism market, with overall Chinese
passenger arrivals increasing by 8.2 per cent when comparing the year ending
June 2014 to the year ending June 2013," continues Mr Carter.  "Shanghai is a
very sophisticated market, with many travellers from the region seeking
premium travel experiences."
"The new China Eastern Airlines service aligns strongly with our 'Four
Seasons, Five Senses' project, which is jointly funded by Auckland Airport
and the New Zealand Government's Ministry of Business, Innovation, and
Employment.  The project aims to drive tourism growth from China by promoting
the unique and iconic activities that our country has to offer.  These
activities concentrate on engaging the five senses of travellers with a focus
on high quality food and wine, cultural and adventure experiences."
Ms Kathy Zhang, General Manager Oceania for China Eastern Airlines, says the
airline is expecting strong demand for its new service due to the popularity
of New Zealand as a destination for Chinese travellers.
"During the 2014 Chinese New Year we operated two charter flights on the
Shanghai to Auckland route.  This proved very successful and it was off the
back of this venture that we decided to introduce the new seasonal
operation."
"We are excited to now offer a seasonal service and deliver more capacity and
choice for travellers," finishes Ms Zhang.

China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines, headquartered in Shanghai, is one of the three major
airlines in mainland China. It flies a fleet of more than 500 long-haul and
short-haul aircraft with an average age of less than seven years.  China
Eastern Airlines serves nearly 80 million travellers annually and ranks among
the world's top five airlines in terms of passenger transportation volume.

As an official member of SkyTeam, China Eastern Airlines has extended its
flight network from Shanghai to 1,064 cities in 178 countries via close
cooperation with SkyTeam member airlines.

With the concept of "World-class hospitality with Eastern charm", China
Eastern Airlines creates splendid travel experiences for global customers
with a comfortable and convenient service quality.

For more information, please visit www.flychinaeastern.com.

For further information, please contact:
Katie Moore
+64 9 255 9061
+64 27 473 1989
End CA:00258718 For:AIA    Type:GENERAL    Time:2014-12-10 08:43:05