China Eastern sign code-share deal with British Airways to boost sales overseas

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd said on Wednesday it has signed a code-sharing deal with British Airways (BA) for flights on seven Chinese and seven British routes, a move China Eastern said could boost sales outside its home base.

Under terms of the deal, China's second-largest carrier said passengers flying with BA, owned by IAG (ICAG.L), to Shanghai's Pudong airport or Chengdu will be able to carry on to cities like Kunming or Hangzhou using China Eastern flights, effective Wednesday.

Meanwhile China Eastern passengers on flights to London Heathrow will be able to make connections via BA flights on seven routes to cities such as Manchester and Glasgow.

The agreement comes as China Eastern looks to boost overseas business. China Eastern's main domestic rivals Air China and China Southern Airlines Co Ltd both saw first-half profit fall on currency weakness.

IAG chief executive Willie Walsh had said in April that the company was in talks with China Eastern and China Southern Airlines on code-sharing agreements to strengthen its network between Europe and the world's second-largest economy.

(Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)