China Eastern and GE Aviation sign comprehensive digital service agreement

China Eastern Airlines (CEA) and GE Aviation reached agreement to provide a comprehensive digital analytics solution for the CEA fleet of more than 700 aircraft over the next three years.

GE Aviation and CEA started their digital collaboration in 2013. As part of the agreement, GE Aviation will provide digital analytics based on GE's big data platform that will define in-depth digital cooperation between the two companies for the next three years. The agreement covers more than 50 digital service projects spanning from engine and aircraft maintenance, flight safety, operational efficiency and marketing/revenue analytics.

"Working with China Eastern over the past four years, we have made great progress by analyzing flight data and using it in a way to identify opportunities for operational savings for the airline," said Andrew Coleman, chief commercial officer for GE Aviation. "This agreement marks a great example of comprehensive digital cooperation with an airline operator. It can significantly help China Eastern strengthen their flight risk management capability, as well as bring potential significant savings across the airline's operations."

"Digitalization is the eventual objective of airlines. It's also an important development vision of CEA. In the process of transforming to digital, CEA is more than happy to cooperate with GE as a leading digital industrial company. We look forward to collaborating with GE to dig the "gold mine" of aerial data, operate our flights more safely, efficiently and profitably, as well as bring more values to the society and better benefit the industry," said Feng Liang, vice president of CEA.

Based in Shanghai, CEA was the first Chinese airline to be listed on New York, Hong Kong and Shanghai stock markets in 1997. Currently, it operates a fleet of more than 650 aircraft with average age of less than 5.5 years, making it one of the youngest fleets in major airlines in the world. CEA serves more than 110 million passengers globally and ranks 7th in the world. As a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, CEA now reaches 1,074 destinations in 177 countries through an air network.

GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components, integrated digital, avionics, electrical power and mechanical systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. GE Aviation's Digital Solutions business is headquartered in Austin, TX.