China Eastern Airlines is strengthening its presence on the European continent in response to growing demand for long-haul flights from China to Europe. Starting in summer 2025, the airline will add three new routes to its schedule. Starting June 20, a daily connection between Shanghai and Milan will be established, followed by a three-times-weekly route between Shanghai and Copenhagen from July 17. Starting June 16, Geneva will be served four times a week from Shanghai. The airline is also increasing the frequency of its flights from Shanghai to Venice.
A key competitive advantage for Chinese airlines like China Eastern is the continued ability to use Russian airspace. This allows for shorter and therefore more efficient flight routes to Europe compared to many Western airlines, which face restrictions due to the Ukraine conflict. This circumstance contributes to Chinese airlines being able to offer faster and more fuel-efficient connections.
On the Shanghai-Milan route, China Eastern will compete with Air China, while the Copenhagen service is new, making China Eastern the sole operator on this route. This expansion comes at a time when other airlines, such as SAS, have discontinued routes such as Copenhagen-Shanghai due to market constraints.
China Eastern's expansion is part of a broader trend in which Chinese airlines have significantly increased their share of seat capacity between mainland China and Europe (excluding Russia) – from 66 percent in 2019 to 82,5 percent today. Other Chinese airlines, such as Sichuan Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and Air China, are also launching new routes to Europe or reactivating existing connections. In parallel, 2025 new routes were opened in Continental and Northern Europe in March 43 alone, with SAS and Condor leading the way. One-third of these new routes are served exclusively by a single airline, signaling both market opportunities and increasing competition in European air transport.