Ma Xulun (right), general manager of China Eastern Airlines Co., Ltd, gives the plaque bearing the name of China Eastern Airlines Sichuan Branch to Liu Gang, chief of the Sichuan Branch. Photo by Liu Lan

CHENGDU: The China Eastern Airlines Sichuan Branch was established in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on Monday.

Ma Xulun, general manager of China Eastern Airlines Co., Ltd, said that the rich tourism and business resources, favorable investment environment, developed economy, huge development potential and inaccessibility of Sichuan have provided a broad space for air transport development.

China Eastern Airlines has opened routes from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou, Kunming, Lijiang, Lhasa, Nyingchi, Sanya, Wenzhou and Kangding. It plans to rely on the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport expansion project to gradually increase its planes in the city to 30 in 2015, he said.

This year, China Eastern will open an air express from Chengdu to Shanghai where the company is based on. It will also offer more direct flights from Chengdu to major cities and economically developed cities in China and open flights from Chengdu to tourism cities in Sichuan, he said.