China Eastern resumes Yunnan routes

By Chen Xingjie  |   2008-10-23  |     ONLINE EDITION

SHANGHAI-BASED China Eastern Airlines has received approval from the country's aviation authority to resume two routes in Yunnan Province from Sunday, after a half-year suspension due to a mid-air strike by its pilots.

Information on the two routes, from the Yunnan provincial capital Kunming City to Dali and Xishuangbanna, is available on China Eastern's online booking system. Seven flights on each route are offered on Sunday, according to its Website.

Its other six routes in the province, from Kunming to Lijiang, Zhongdian, Mangshi, Lincang, Simao and Wenshan, which had the number of flights cut as punishment for the strike, will also resume normal operation, according to the aviation authority.

Officials with the southwest branch of the Civil Aviation Administration of China said the resumption was approved after China Eastern improved its operations and it contributed to rescue efforts after the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province.

The resumption will coincide with the air authority's new winter/spring flight schedule, which runs from October 26 through March 28.

After the resumption, flights by other carriers including Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, Lucky Air and China West Air will be reduced or even halted, officials said.

The suspension started on May 4 as a punishment by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. China Eastern was also fined 1.5 million yuan (US$219,507).

On March 31 and April 1, 21 China Eastern flights returned to departure points at Kunming after taking off as pilots protested pay and working conditions. It stranded about 1,500 passengers at the Kunming airport.