Mongolian Airlines (MR, Ulaanbaatar Chinggis Khaan (ULN)) is set to change its name to Hunnu Air (MR, Ulaanbaatar Chinggis Khaan (ULN)) and will apply for Skyteam membership following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao International (SHA)) which will see the Chinese carrier aide Hunnu Air in bringing its service delivery and corporate culture up to international standards. Under the MoU's provisions, China Eastern will provide catering, ground support and maintenance service for Hunnu Air at Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) as well as providing comprehensive crew training. In return, Hunnu Air stands to gain a codeshare deal on a possible Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) to Ulaanbaatar Chinggis Khaan (ULN) route but this, however, is dependent on it passing its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Additionally, Hunnu Air will provide ticket sales for China Eastern in Mongolia, while China Eastern will help Hunnu Air gain market presence in China. Mongolian Airlines Group mentioned the similarity of its current brand name as the key reason for adjusting its name to Hunnu Air.

JetStar Hong Kong (Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International (HKG)) has moved to invite local Hong Kong-based investors to come onboard the project as a means of speeding up regulatory approval, which has seen the airline defer its launch date from June, to later this year owing to ongoing bureaucratic delays. The company - owned by China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao International (SHA)) and JetStar Airways (JQ, Melbourne Tullamarine International (MEL)), a unit of Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD)) - lodged its application for an operating licence more than six months ago but has since been told by city officials that further setbacks could be assuaged should it find local investors, using Cathay Pacific (CX, Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International (HKG)) and its shareholding as a point of reference. Analysts in the industry however, point to the delays as being a possible protectionist move by government to remove the threat to local carrier, Cathay Pacific. They claim that JetStar's establishment could set a dangerous precedent for other LCCs looking to open up a base at Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International (HKG).

Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD)) has been approached by investors looking for a shareholding in its planned LCC joint venture with China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao International (SHA)), dubbed JetStar Hong Kong (Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International (HKG)). Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce told a Macquarie Group conference that "unnamed investors" had already offered more for their stakes in JetStar Hong Kong than Qantas had invested, despite the airline still awaiting regulatory approval. Both Qantas and China Eastern will each invest up to USD 99 million over three years to set up a JetStar Hong Kong. JetStar Airways (JQ, Melbourne Tullamarine International (MEL)), run by Jayne Hrdlicka, now accounts for 20% of revenue and 31% of operating income at struggling Qantas, who are now seriously pushing to tap Asian demand for budget flights, which has more than doubled low-cost carriers’ share of regional traffic since 2007.

Hong Kong Express (UO, Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International (HKG)) plans to transform itself into a budget airline this year, with plans to be unveiled in late May. Overall, the transformation from a full-service carrier into an LCC is expected to be complete come Q3 of this year. According to company president, Yang Jianhong, the move was precipitated by the global economic slowdown which has weakened demand for premier-class products while at the same time creating "rapid growth potential for budget carrier services" in the region. In preparation for the launch, parent Hong Kong Airlines (HX, Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International (HKG)) has put two Airbus A320-200s at Hong Kong Express' disposal. While no exact routes or markets have been identified, Hong Kong Express has rights to fly to "most of Asia's major cities". It currently operates flights between Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International (HKG) and Beijing Capital (PEK), Guilin Liangjiang International (KWL), Nanning Wuxu International (NNG), Sanya Fenghuang International (SYX) and Taichung Ching Chuan Kang (RMQ). Competition will come in the form of JetStar Hong Kong (Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International (HKG)), an LCC joint venture between Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD)) and China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao International (SHA)), whose planned launch at the end of this year is still awaiting approval from the city's aviation regulator.

Shanghai Airlines (FM, Shanghai Hongqiao International (SHA)) has deployed its first two A330-200s into active service. The aircraft, B-6545 (c/n 1291) and B-6546 (c/n 1303), were transferred from the carrier's parent, China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao International (SHA)), and are the airline's first Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) aircraft, having previously operated a mix of exclusively Bombardier (BBA, Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (YUL)) and Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) aircraft. Shanghai currently continues to operate the two A330-200s on behalf of China Eastern.