China Eastern Airlines is working on the possibility of adding at least two weekly flights between China and Spain from next year. The Shanghai-based company is one of the largest Chinese airlines operating international, domestic and regional flights.

This was confirmed by the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria, who said that the current eight operations per week “are very limited” compared to other European countries.

At present, Spain has two routes to Beijing, operated by Air China, from the airports of Madrid-Barajas with five weekly frequencies and Barcelona-El Prat, with three flights a week, in this case, with a stopover in Vienna. Meanwhile, Germany has 50 weekly flights, France 60, and the UK up to 80 weekly frequencies, consolidating the hubs of Frankfurt, Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow.

China Eastern Spain is considering operating two flights per week from 2016

Asked whether any Spanish airline is considering uniting Spain with the Asian giant, the Minister of Industry stated that although it is being evaluated, there is no “confirmation that this will be happening soon.”

“This will increase the flow of Chinese tourists, which is very important for Spain because they are not tourists that come to consume the conventional product of sun and sand”, he said.

Soria said that everything that is done to improve air connectivity and to expedite visas will increase such market flows.

Source: hosteltur.com
Photo: Prayitno/ flickr