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CEAir

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SHANGHAI, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — China Eastern Airlines (CEAir) showcased its developments in digital and intelligent technologies across operations support, passenger services, aircraft maintenance, and air cargo at the Fourth CATA Aviation Conference & Exhibition, held in Beijing in late September by the China Air Transport Association (CATA).

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At its exhibition booth, the airline presented its applications of AI in civil aviation through physical prototypes, equipment models, multimedia displays, interactive demonstrations, and livestreaming.

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An AI-powered flexible robotic arm system for meal arrangement was a major highlight in the smart in-flight catering section. Its adaptive end effectors can flexibly grasp and precisely place food items of different types and forms, enabling the automated arrangement of in-flight meals.

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A service robot, a baggage-handling robot, and a four-legged robot for transfer guidance, developed by the airline and equipped with large-model capabilities, were displayed in the smart passenger services section.

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The airline also demonstrated its self-developed AI-powered network management platform, which lets visitors view the real-time locations of CEAir wide-body aircraft worldwide and the satellites they use for in-flight internet connectivity.

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Air-ground connectivity is a key area of CEAir’s digital and intelligent development drive. Since July 2026, the airline has provided complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi on all its wide-body aircraft flights, making it one of the first major airlines in the world to offer in-flight Wi-Fi as a standard service available to all passengers.

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Other digital and intelligent upgrades on display included smart equipment for fresh-food cold-chain logistics, autonomous baggage tractors, modular hangars, and digital terminals.

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CEAir’s operations of the C919 aircraft also drew considerable attention.

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Its C919 fleet has grown to 17 aircraft so far, operating 23 key routes connecting 14 cities. The fleet has completed more than 30,000 commercial flights and carried over 4 million passengers.

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At the event’s opening ceremony, CEAir’s project on key technologies for large-scale C919 operations won second prize in the 2025 sci-tech awards in civil aviation.

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With a global route network covering 945 destinations in 145 countries and regions and a modern fleet comprising more than 850 aircraft, the airline can serve 150 million passengers annually.

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Website: http://www.ceair.com/

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Contact: Caowei

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Email: [email protected]

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