Virgin Atlantic has announced a new partnership with China Eastern, which also includes the Air France-KLM group, the partners are forming a joint venture to operate flights between Europe and China, leveraging China Eastern’s powerful presence in the Asian nation.

Although the deal is still to be formally approved, Virgin is positive that it will go ahead.

The new joint venture will replace the JV currently in place between China Eastern and Air France-KLM. This will see Virgin working even closer with its European neighbor, following the purchase of a 31% stake in the UK airline earlier this year.

The announcement is well-timed, as Virgin is currently celebrating its 20th year of flying to Shanghai. In a press release, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic Juha Jarvinen commented,

“Our announcement today regarding our intention to enter into a joint venture with China Eastern and Air France-KLM truly emphasises our commitment to China and our growing portfolio in the Far East. The move clearly reflects our mission to offer our customers enhanced connectivity and choice by working with the best partners in the business. We have a strong heritage of flying to China and I’m delighted that this announcement comes at a time when we celebrate 20 years of flying between London and Shanghai, further cementing our dedication to the region for another generation.”