Singapore Airlines to share expertise with China Eastern

Ten Singapore Airlines executives will be permanently seconded to China Eastern Airlines to help boost operations should the its strategic investment in China Eastern be approved by shareholders on January 8. Li Fenghua, chairman of China Eastern, said the tie-up between the two companies would also see 20 of the Shanghai-based carrier's managers sent to Singapore for a six-month training course, the Wall Street Journal reported. Singapore Airlines and Temasek, the investment arm of the Singaporean government, have agreed to pay US$918.2 million for a joint 24% stake in China Eastern. There is talk that China National Aviation Holding, the parent firm of Air China, might try to launch a counterbid, but Li played down this possibility. According to the investment agreement, three new seats will be added to China Eastern's 11-person board, with Singapore Airlines occupying two and Temasek taking the third.