On November 29th, a research report entitled “Research on the Digital Transformation Path of Civil Aviation Industry – A Case Study of China Eastern Airlines and Lufthansa” was published in German, Chinese and English. The report was collaboratively written by senior experts and scholars from the Institute for Technologies and Economics of Lithium (ITEL), Germany and the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), Beijing. Representatives from Embassy of Germany in China, Chinese Embassy in Germany, the Institute of European Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Eastern Airlines and other organizations attended the conference.

This research report's lead writers are Ulrich Blum, Dean of ITEL and Professor Lan Qingxin, Dean of UIBE Yangtze Delta Region Trade Institute, who have led many important research projects in fields including smart aviation ecosystem, aviation hub construction and smart logistics. The research selected China Eastern Airlines and Lufthansa, the representative civil aviation enterprises of the two countries, as the main research objects, compared the digital development paths of civil aviation in various countries in such aspects as national planning, international environment and technical practice, and probed into the experience and enlightenment of aviation industry in pursuing digital transformation.

As the main research object of this collaborative research, China Eastern Airlines is the seventh largest airline in the world, with its flights reaching 1,036 destinations in 170 countries and regions. The airline has achieved remarkable achievements in many fields, such as in-flight Internet, green flight, and intelligent maintenance and services. Li Zhijun, an executive of the Information Department of China Eastern Airlines, pointed out that the digital transformation of aviation industry must be centered on customer demands.

Recently, China Eastern Airlines organized the 2022 North Bund International Aviation Forum, and discussed the construction of intelligent civil aviation transportation system with more than 150 guests from the global aviation industry. At the forum, the company released major achievements in the endeavors to become a "super carrier" and realize "intelligent aviation". The construction of Smart China Eastern Airlines will greatly boost the brand value of China Eastern Airlines.