OTT Airlines

OTT Airlines, also known as One Two Three Airlines, was a Chinese airline established by China Eastern Airlines in February 2020. Headquartered in Shanghai, it was designed to operate domestically produced Chinese aircraft and to develop experience in regional and short-haul passenger services, with an initial focus on the Yangtze Delta and other domestic markets. The carrier was created during a period in which China was seeking to expand the commercial use of its own civil-aircraft programs, especially the COMAC ARJ21 and the then-developing COMAC C919. The airline took delivery of its first three COMAC ARJ21 aircraft in June 2020. It subsequently began passenger operations on 28 December 2020, flying from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport. Initial network plans also identified Nanchang, Hefei, and Wenzhou as destinations for expansion during the first quarter of 2021. The carrier’s creation and fleet strategy gave it a symbolic role in the early commercial deployment of Chinese-built jet aircraft, while its ownership by China Eastern provided access to the resources, operating expertise, and network infrastructure of a major established airline group. OTT Airlines was expected to become an early operator of the COMAC C919, with service originally discussed for 2022. In practice, the airline’s operating fleet was centered on the ARJ21. Three aircraft were used at the start of operations, followed by six additional ARJ21 deliveries in 2021. A total of 35 ARJ21 aircraft were scheduled for delivery between 2021 and 2025, although the planned fleet expansion was overtaken by a later corporate restructuring. The airline’s operating-license process was reviewed by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in 2020. Its launch therefore combined a conventional airline-certification process with a broader industrial objective: creating an airline platform capable of introducing domestically produced aircraft into regular scheduled service. OTT Airlines was not an independent listed company and remained part of China Eastern’s corporate structure throughout its existence. On 31 August 2024, China Eastern announced that it would absorb OTT Airlines and integrate its operations into the parent carrier. The merger took effect on 22 September 2024, bringing the separate airline brand and corporate entity to an end. OTT Airlines is therefore a defunct Chinese airline rather than an active standalone carrier. The name referred to the Daoist idea associated with Laozi that “one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three,” which was used as the conceptual basis for the Chinese and English naming.

OTT Airlines was created by China Eastern Airlines on 26 February 2020 as a dedicated subsidiary for the operation of Chinese domestically produced aircraft. The airline’s formation reflected both a commercial and industrial objective. Commercially, China Eastern could use a separate operating platform for regional and short-haul services. Strategically, the carrier could provide a practical airline environment in which Chinese-built passenger aircraft were introduced into regular scheduled operations. The name was rendered in English as One Two Three Airlines and branded publicly as OTT Airlines. Its Chinese name was associated with a Daoist formulation linked to Laozi: “one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three.” The airline was based in Shanghai and was intended to focus substantially on the Yangtze Delta region, while also serving other domestic destinations. At launch, the airline was associated with both the COMAC ARJ21 and the future COMAC C919. It was originally expected to become the first airline to operate the C919, with service discussed for 2022. Its immediate operating fleet, however, consisted of the ARJ21, a regional jet developed and manufactured by COMAC. OTT Airlines received its first three ARJ21 aircraft in June 2020. In December of the same year, the Civil Aviation Administration of China announced that it had completed a preliminary review of the airline’s application for an operating license. The carrier began scheduled passenger flying on 28 December 2020. Its inaugural service connected Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport with Beijing Capital International Airport. Plans for the first three months of 2021 included routes linking Shanghai with Nanchang, Hefei, and Wenzhou. These plans positioned OTT Airlines as a domestic regional carrier rather than an international airline, with China Eastern’s broader network and operating infrastructure providing an important corporate foundation. Fleet expansion continued in 2021, when six additional ARJ21 aircraft were delivered. A total of 35 ARJ21s was scheduled for delivery between 2021 and 2025. The planned fleet was significant because it would have made OTT Airlines an important early commercial operator of the aircraft type. Nevertheless, the separate airline structure was short-lived. China Eastern remained the parent company, and OTT Airlines did not develop into a separately listed or independently controlled airline group. On 31 August 2024, China Eastern announced a plan to absorb OTT Airlines and integrate the operation into the parent airline. The merger became effective on 22 September 2024. This ended OTT Airlines as a distinct corporate and operating brand and transferred its activities into China Eastern’s mainline structure. The airline’s legacy is therefore principally connected with the early scheduled deployment of Chinese-made regional aircraft and with China Eastern’s effort to create a specialized platform for that purpose.

• 2024

  Absorption by China Eastern

  [1]OTT Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  China Eastern announced the absorption of OTT Airlines on 31 August, with the merger taking effect on 22 September and ending the airline’s separate existence.

• 2021

  Fleet expansion

  [1]OTT Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  Six further ARJ21 aircraft were delivered, while a larger planned delivery program was intended to bring the total scheduled deliveries to 35 aircraft between 2021 and 2025.

• 2020

  China Eastern establishes OTT Airlines

  [1]OTT Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  China Eastern Airlines launched OTT Airlines on 26 February as a subsidiary intended to operate Chinese-made aircraft and develop domestic regional services.

• 2020

  First ARJ21 deliveries

  [1]OTT Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  OTT Airlines received its first three COMAC ARJ21 aircraft in June.

• 2020

  Operating-license review

  [1]OTT Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  The Civil Aviation Administration of China announced in December that it had completed a preliminary review of the airline’s operating-license application.

• 2020

  Maiden scheduled flight

  [1]OTT Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  The carrier began passenger operations on 28 December with a Shanghai Hongqiao–Beijing Capital service.

A China Eastern Airlines regional-airline platform focused on domestic routes and the commercial operation of Chinese-made passenger aircraft.

• Air transportation · 2020

  Scheduled domestic passenger services

  OTT Airlines provided scheduled passenger transportation within China. Its network was centered on Shanghai and was intended to serve the Yangtze Delta and other domestic city pairs. The carrier’s first recorded scheduled flight connected Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport with Beijing Capital International Airport, with additional early route plans involving Nanchang, Hefei, and Wenzhou.

• Regional jet operations · 2020

  COMAC ARJ21 operations

  The ARJ21 was OTT Airlines’ principal operating aircraft. The airline received three aircraft in June 2020 and six additional aircraft in 2021. Its fleet plan called for 35 ARJ21 deliveries between 2021 and 2025, although the airline was absorbed into China Eastern before that separate fleet strategy could fully mature.

• Commercial aircraft operations · 2022

  Planned COMAC C919 services

  OTT Airlines was originally expected to become the first operator of the COMAC C919, with service discussed for 2022. The plan formed part of the airline’s broader role as a platform for Chinese-built civil aircraft, but the available reference material does not establish that OTT Airlines ultimately operated scheduled C919 services.

• 2024

  Absorption into China Eastern AirlinesM&A

  Background

  China Eastern reassessed the separate subsidiary structure after OTT Airlines had operated as a standalone platform for Chinese-made aircraft and regional services.

  Action taken

  China Eastern announced on 31 August 2024 that it would absorb OTT Airlines and integrate its operations into the parent airline.

  Aftermath

  The merger took effect on 22 September 2024, dissolving OTT Airlines as a separate airline and ending its standalone brand status.

  Source

• 2020

  Creation of a dedicated domestic-aircraft subsidiaryStrategy

  Background

  China Eastern sought a dedicated airline platform for domestically produced aircraft and regional passenger operations.

  Action taken

  It launched OTT Airlines as a separate subsidiary in February 2020 and assigned it a Shanghai-based domestic operating role.

  Aftermath

  The new carrier received ARJ21 aircraft and began scheduled services later in 2020.

  Source

• 2020

  Launch of ARJ21 passenger operationsProduct launch

  Background

  OTT Airlines was established to operate Chinese-made aircraft, with the ARJ21 forming its initial fleet.

  Action taken

  The airline accepted its first three ARJ21 aircraft and inaugurated scheduled passenger flying on 28 December 2020.

  Aftermath

  The carrier became an early scheduled operator of the ARJ21 on domestic Chinese routes.

  Source

1. 1OTT Airlinesen.wikipedia.org