Starbucks coffee will now be served in the First Class and Business Class cabins of China Eastern Airlines, the country's second-largest carrier.

The agreement, formed under the Global Coffee Alliance between Starbucks and Nestlé, will also ensure Nestlé products continue to be offered in the airline's economy cabins.

The Global Coffee Alliance was established in 2018, when Nestlé acquired the rights to distribute Starbucks packaged coffee products outside Starbucks stores. That deal gave Nestlé a license to market Starbucks consumer and foodservice products globally, and channels such as airlines fall within the scope of that arrangement.

A representative of China Eastern Airlines described the addition of Starbucks coffee to First Class and Business Class as a natural evolution of the airline's existing coffee offering.

"This premium cabin coffee upgrade is the convergence of three collaboration threads between China Eastern, Nestle, and Starbucks," the representative said. "From the 16-year partnership foundation between China Eastern and Nestlé, to Starbucks' first inflight co-branded launch in China's aviation channel, premium cabin passengers can now experience Starbucks' classic Arabica coffee."

China Eastern carries approximately 150 million passengers per year, operating a fleet of around 800 aircraft and serving more than 1000 destinations across 160 markets. For Starbucks, the inflight placement extends a channel strategy in China, one of its largest markets outside the United States, beyond its retail stores.

The airline already has an established relationship with Starbucks, with Starbucks Rewards and China Eastern Frequent Flyer members able to connect their accounts from 2025.

Starbucks Global Channel Development Officer David Hanson said the scale of the partnership will create significant consumer exposure opportunities for Starbucks.

"The collaboration announced last year between Starbucks and China Eastern opened a new experience where coffee and travel intertwine for consumers," Hanson said. "This partnership is a testament to the complementary strengths of Starbucks, Nestle, and China Eastern. We are delighted to extend Starbucks' human connection experience to 30,000 feet and bring it to China Eastern's passengers."

Airlines continue to use coffee as a premiumisation tool to attract passengers, with brands such as Lavazza, Stumptown, and Peet's Coffee all recently agreeing to or expanding partnerships with carriers around the world.