China Eastern Airlines plans to introduce a strategic investor by reducing its state-owned stakes to allow for more capital injection. “It [regulations] used to stipulate state-owned stakes should account for no less than 50% in China’s big three carriers. But I think this figure can be reduced to about 40% so that we can attract more social capital injection [from a strategic investor],” China Eastern CE Ma Xulun noted. Beijing now encourages China’s state-own enterprises to make reforms to realise diversified ownership. In January, the China Securities Regulatory Commission approved China Eastern to circulate 2.33b A shares at CNY6.44 (US$.98) per share to no more than 10 investors so it could collect about CNY15b for fleet renewal and loan payoff, which would reduce state-owned stakes from 64% to about 50%. <br/>
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China Airlines, which will take delivery of its first Airbus A350 XWB in July, will launch nonstop flights from Taipei to European destinations from Dec 2016. The destinations include Amsterdam (4X-weekly), Rome Fiumicino (2X-weekly) and Vienna (3X-weekly). It will also increase Taipei-Frankfurt service to 7X-weekly from June 2016. In addition, the A350 is expected to strengthen its cooperation with other airlines to reach more key European destinations such as Madrid. China Airlines has 14 A350-900s on order. Chairman and CE Hang Hung Sun said in July the carrier would take delivery of “4 A350s in 2016, 6 in 2017 and 4 more in 2018.” The airline said it will provide “the most comprehensive flight network between Taiwan and Europe and an all-new, next-generation flight experience on board the A350.” <br/>