China Eastern Air Holding Co Ltd officially launched a new branch in Urumqi, the capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Wednesday. The move is expected to bolster the autonomous region's position as an international aviation hub linking Asia and Europe, while serving as a bridgehead for China's opening-up to the West.
In line with the "Go West" program for developing China's western regions and the Belt and Road Initiative, the new branch will facilitate China Eastern's domestic network development, international route expansion, and the deployment of domestically developed C919 aircraft on routes involving Xinjiang, said the Shanghai-based carrier.
As early as 1994, China Eastern established an Urumqi business office. Today, the airline's network connects the autonomous region's 13 airports to major hub cities across the country.
In addition to the improved frequency of flights between Shanghai and Urumqi, China Eastern is poised to establish an operational base in Yining, and a business office in Kashgar, while exploring the possibility of launching international flights to Central and West Asia via Xinjiang.
