China’s second largest airline China Eastern is getting bigger

China Eastern Airlines Corp., the nation’s second-largest carrier by passengers, will accelerate capacity growth in the second half to 10 percent as it adds new planes and boosts international services.

Expansion will focus on overseas routes after a 19 percent increase in nationwide outbound passenger numbers in the first half, Zeng Yongchao, an executive vice president, said in an interview yesterday in Hong Kong. The Shanghai-based airline expanded passenger capacity 4.6 percent through June.