The "Shanghai Istanbul" direct flight route opens, and there will be new passengers from China to Türkiye | China | Istanbul
The reporter learned from China Eastern Airlines that from September 28, 2023, China Eastern Airlines will open a new "Shanghai Istanbul" non-stop flight route, which is the first time that a Chinese airline has opened this route between China and Türkiye.
Istanbul is located on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait, which divides Asia and Europe, and is the only city in the world that spans two continents. China Eastern Airlines' "Shanghai Istanbul" round-trip flight number is MU703/704, and three flights are carried out every week: the departure time is 1:30 a.m. Beijing time on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and the arrival time is 8:30 a.m. local time at Türkiye's Istanbul Airport; The return journey will depart from Istanbul Airport at 2:00 pm local time on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 5:30 pm Beijing time the next day.
According to China Eastern Airlines, the scheduling of this flight fully takes into account the characteristics of Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Istanbul Airport, both of which are large international aviation hubs. Not only can direct passengers enjoy convenient and fast itineraries, but connecting passengers can also have more options and higher efficiency in the later stage of transfer flights upon arrival. After arriving in Istanbul, passengers can travel to destinations such as Europe and Africa through subsequent flights; Passengers returning to Shanghai Pudong can also efficiently connect flights to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, as well as neighboring countries such as Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea.
Türkiye is on the list of the third batch of outbound team countries published by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Tourism. The announcement of this batch of lists has also driven domestic and foreign airlines to resume more international flights to and from China. However, the recovery of international flights still requires a process, and according to the judgment of the Civil Aviation Administration of China at the six-month work meeting, it is expected that the volume of international passenger flights is expected to recover to 60% to 65% of pre pandemic levels in the second half of the year.