By Mohamed Attia
Egypt and China inaugurated a new direct flight route between Cairo and Shanghai as the route will be operated by China Eastern Airlines, one of the largest airlines in China.
The flight, which departs from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 00:45am and arrives at Cairo International Airport at 7:19am local time, will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
The launch of the new route is a sign of the growing economic and cultural ties between Egypt and China. The two countries have a long history of cooperation, and the new flight will make it easier for people and businesses to travel between them.
The Chinese embassy in Cairo held a celebration at the Meridian Airport Hotel under the title “A journey with ancient civilisations – the dream of connecting Asia and Africa” to mark the launch of the new direct flight route between the cities of Cairo and Shanghai by China Eastern Airlines.
The event was attended by Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Abbas Helmy, the Chinese Ambassador to Cairo as well as other top government aviation officials.
During the ceremony, Minister Abbas stressed the strength and depth of the distinguished Egyptian-Chinese relations based on fruitful co-operation between the two sides.
He pointed out that Egypt and China have historical relations since the dawn of history, as the two countries have civilisations that extend their roots to thousands of years.
Abbas added that Egyptian-Chinese relations are currently strong in various fields, especially the economic sector, as China is a commercial partner for Egypt.
He cited several joint projects between the two sides, including the iconic tower of the new capital, the construction of the largest cement factory, the launch of the first vaccine center in Africa, and the Egyptian satellite, among other projects.
Abbas added that the launch of the new route comes within a series of partnerships and successes that reflect the results of the efforts made between the two friendly countries.
He thanked the members of the Chinese embassy in Cairo for their kind invitation to participate in this celebration, which reflects the ties of interdependence and joint co-operation in various fields that have witnessed significant growth in recent years, especially in the field of air transport.
He pointed out that the efforts and supportive efforts made by the governments of the two countries to activate air and tourism traffic between them, especially in light of the convergence of views between Egypt and China on a number of issues of common interest, which has achieved fruitful results in various fields.
He also noted that the past few days have witnessed the highest rates of growth in air traffic between Egypt and China, especially since the launch of the latest EgyptAir routes to Shanghai.
Abbas confirmed that all sectors of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, headed by the national airline EgyptAir, as well as Cairo International Airport, are ready to increase air and tourism activity between the two friendly countries, either at the level of flights operated by EgyptAir to different points in China or at the level of Cairo International Airport, which is ready to receive more flights from China.
For his part, the Chinese Ambassador expressed his happiness to participate with the Minister of Civil Aviation in celebrating the launch of the new route between Shanghai and Cairo by China Eastern Airlines.
He thanked the Egyptian government for the effective coordination with the Chinese side, especially in the field of civil aviation, which came in the context of the developmental boom and fruitful achievements that the Egyptian state has achieved in recent years.
He added that China Eastern Airlines is one of the top three airlines owned by the Chinese government, serving about 150 million passengers.
The Chinese ambassador praised the development that the Egyptian civil aviation sector is witnessing in general and the national airline EgyptAir in particular, which is considered one of the most important airlines in Africa and the Middle East.
He pointed out that Egyptian-Chinese co-operation is not limited to organising flights between the two countries, but there is also great bilateral co-operation in the fields of maintenance and logistical services.
He also confirmed the interest and enthusiasm of the Chinese people to visit Egypt for its unique tourism potential. He added that operating direct flights between Egypt and China will contribute significantly to increasing the volume of co-operation and exchange between the two countries in various fields.
