CEA's Broader Expansion Into Italy Opens a New Chapter of China-Italy Aviation Cooperation

MILAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--China Eastern Airlines (CEA) held a promotional event in Milan, Italy on July 3, 2025, for its new direct Milan-Shanghai route. CEA Chairman Mr. Wang Zhiqing attended and addressed at the event.

"This new route is not merely an aerial bridge connecting two great cities," said Mr. Wang. "It also embodies both Chinese and Italian people's aspirations for further exchanges and cooperation. We strive to provide convenient, efficient, and comfortable services and make every flight more enjoyable."

During his visit to Italy, Mr. Wang had high-level meetings with key representatives from the Italian aviation industry. Among them were Mr. Salvatore Burrafato, President of GEStione Aeroporto Palermo S.p.A., Mr. Armando Brunini, CEO of Società Esercizi Aeroportuali S.p.A., and Mr. Luigi Battuello, CCO of Società Esercizi Aeroportuali S.p.A. The meetings focused on operational support for new routes, joint marketing campaigns, and collaborative backing for passenger and cargo transportation. Mr. Wang specially invited the Italian partners to attend the North Bund International Aviation Forum to be held in Shanghai this October, to lay out a blueprint for future China–Italy civil aviation cooperation.

Apart from commercial cooperation, the trip also prioritizes cultural exchange. Mr. Wang met with Mr. Massimo Bray, Italian Coordinator of China-Italy Cultural Cooperation Mechanism and General Manager of the Treccani Institute. By common consent, they would collaboratively and innovatively integrate culture and aviation by hosting cultural exhibitions at airports and on board, developing unique cultural tourist routes, facilitating youth exchanges between the two nations, and offering professional support for cross-border transportation of valuable artworks. Then, they witnessed the signing of an MoU between CEA and Treccani Institute, marking a new stage in the collaboration between both bodies.

CEA inaugurated two new direct flight routes between China and Italy on September 26, 2024, as part of their "Air Silk Road" expansion: Venice–Shanghai and Milan–Xi'an. Now, therefore, CEA operates five direct routes between China and Italy: from Rome, Milan, and Venice to Shanghai; Milan to Xi'an; and Rome to Wenzhou. The weekly two-way flights between China and Italy have been raised to 46, which has fostered greater economic, trade, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.