China crash rare disaster for state-run airlines

BEIJING (AP) — China is, along with North America and Europe, one of the world’s top three air travel markets. It has dramatically improved safety since a string of deadly crashes in the 1990s and 2000s.

China hasn’t reported a crash of a commercial flight with more than five fatalities since 2010. The ruling Communist Party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, also has suffered fatal crashes, but few details are available.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES CORP.

China Eastern is, along with Air China, China Southern Airlines and HNA Group, one of four major carriers in China, all state-owned. Founded in 1995, the airline is headquartered at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. Its fleet of 749 aircraft includes 291 from the Boeing 737 series, according to its mid-2021 interim report. The carrier has 79,913 employees, mostly in China. It carried 44.3 million passengers in the first half of 2021. China Eastern reported a loss of 5.4 billion yuan ($850 million) in the first half of 2021.

CHINA'S AIRLINE INDUSTRY

Carriers have suffered heavy financial losses due to the government’s “zero tolerance” anti-coronavirus strategy, which bars most foreign visitors from China and has disrupted travel by suspending access temporarily to major cities. Passenger numbers within China exceeded the United States in 2020 for the first time, according to Boeing Co. That was partly because populous China reopened to domestic travel relatively quickly after coronavirus cases were first reported there in late 2019. Boeing forecasts 5.4% annual traffic growth and says China should account for one-sixth of future added airline capacity.

CHINA'S LAST BIG CRASH

An Embraer ERJ 190-100 operated by Henan Airlines and carrying a total of 44 passengers and crew hit the ground short of the...