To cope with soaring summer demand, China Eastern Airlines has switched its Shanghai–Urumqi MU5699/MU5700 pair to 335-seat Airbus A33J aircraft from 1 July 2026 and will progressively deploy larger equipment on select Southeast Asian routes. Supplementing this, Shanghai Railway added 38 extra G-series high-speed services on 2 July as part of a broader “Summer Transport” plan unveiled by the municipal government. The move lifts daily outbound seat supply from the Yangtze River Delta by approximately 11 %, alleviating a capacity squeeze that had seen average economy-class fares climb 18 % in June. Travel-management companies welcome the change, noting that wide-body deployment on domestic trunk routes frees narrow-body jets for secondary cities, expanding connection options for expatriate families. However, the larger aircraft mean longer boarding times at congestion-prone Hongqiao Terminal 2. Airlines advise premium customers to use the dedicated SkyPriority lane and to complete security e-declaration via the iCustoms WeChat mini-program. China Rail has similarly urged e-ticket holders to arrive 30 minutes earlier due to peak-season security checks. Corporate travellers should review their travel-class policies: upgrades to premium economy may cost only 12 % more than restricted economy on wide-body equipment, yet offer full-flat seats on late-night westbound sectors.
Source: Jiefang Daily
