China Eastern eyes Shanghai-Xian-Madrid flights

China Eastern has plans to launch a new connection to Spain later this year with the Shanghai-based carrier looking to begin flights between Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and Madrid via Xian starting this December.

The Chinese carrier recently filed an application to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for a new service connecting the three cities that would operate on a twice-per-week basis using one of its Airbus A330 aircraft, according to a CAAC statement.

This won’t be China Eastern’s first connection between Shanghai and Madrid, however. Flights MU709/MU710 already travel non-stop between the two cities four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays using the following schedule:

These flights are similarly flown using the airline’s A330s.

The new route follows fellow Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines’ recent launch of non-stop flights to Madrid from Shenzhen in March this year.

Spain is becoming an increasingly popular destination for among Asian with a number of new routes to destinations in the country recently taking off.

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific began a seasonal service to Barcelona last July – just over a year after it launched its flights to Madrid. As of April this year, the Barcelona route has gone year-round.

Last July also saw Singapore Airlines begin flying non-stop between Singapore and Barcelona when it cut out the route’s previous stopover at Milan-Malpensa Airport.

Meanwhile, following the launch of non-stop flights between Seoul Incheon and Barcelona by Korean Air last May, Asiana Airlines is also due to begin flying the route starting this August.