China Eastern Widens European Reach With Milan, Copenhagen Routes

China Eastern Airlines is set to add two more new European destinations to its network this summer, as Chinese carriers continue to capitalize on access to Russian airspace to grow their long-haul operations.

The airline has opened reservations for new services from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to Copenhagen and Milan. While it already serves Milan from Xi’an—a route launched in September 2024—Copenhagen will be a new addition to its network and mark China Eastern’s 15th destination in Europe, including points in Russia.

Flights to Milan Malpensa Airport will start on June 20, operating daily using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Service to Copenhagen Kastrup Airport—the main hub of SkyTeam alliance partner Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)—will begin on July 17, operating three times per week using A330-200s.

China Eastern will compete with Air China’s daily service on the Shanghai–Milan route, while the Shanghai–Copenhagen market remains unserved—positioning China Eastern as the sole operator on that city pair.

According to OAG Schedules Analyser, Copenhagen’s only current connection to mainland China is Air China’s daily flight from Beijing Capital International Airport. SAS previously operated Copenhagen–Shanghai, but discontinued the service in November 2024, citing market conditions.

In contrast, Milan Malpensa enjoys wider connectivity, with nonstop flights to nine Chinese cities: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, Xi’an and Zhengzhou.

The latest additions by China Eastern, first reported by Aeroroutes, come ahead of the airline’s upcoming launch of a Shanghai–Geneva service, scheduled to begin on June 16 with four flights per week. The carrier is also increasing frequencies on its Shanghai–Venice Marco Polo Airport route, adding a fourth weekly flight to the service that began last September.

The move is part of a broader trend among Chinese carriers, which are actively rebuilding and expanding their European networks. A key driver of this resurgence is China’s continued access to Russian airspace—a corridor that remains closed to most Western airlines due to sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.

This access gives Chinese carriers a notable competitive edge on Europe-bound routes, enabling them to fly shorter, more fuel-efficient paths compared to their European counterparts, who are forced to take longer detours around restricted airspace.

Other new routes scheduled by Chinese airlines for the summer 2025 season include Sichuan Airlines’ four-times-weekly service between Chengdu Tianfu and Madrid Barajas Airport, launching April 27; Hainan Airlines’ weekly flight from Haikou to London Heathrow, starting May 7; and Air China’s resumption of its Chengdu Tianfu–Paris Charles de Gaulle route on April 28, returning after a five-year hiatus.

OAG data shows that total two-way seat capacity between mainland China and Europe, excluding Russia, is projected to reach approximately 10.3 million during the northern summer 2025 season—a 7% increase year-on-year. Chinese carriers will account for around 82.5% of that capacity, up from their 66% share in summer 2019, prior to the pandemic and the closure of Russian airspace to most Western operators.