China’s Juneyao Air to set up branches abroad in expansion drive

China’s Juneyao Airlines plans to set up branches in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Malaysia and Greece, the company said in a filing on Wednesday, as it ventures to Europe and Southeast Asia in a global expansion drive. Juneyao, a private-owned carrier based in Shanghai, has been gradually bolstering its overseas presence after the first delivery of widebody Boeing 787 aircraft in 2018. It started its first long-haul service to Helsinki last June. With six 787s in its fleet and four more on order, the carrier has said it will add new services to Manchester, Dublin and Iceland from March, all of which will fly through Helsinki. Its overseas expansion comes amid mounting losses for Chinese airlines on long-haul routes, which hit a combined $3.2b in 2018, as the economy slows and trade tensions weigh. Due to foreign ownership rules, Juneyao will need to find local partners in each of the countries.<br/>