China's private airline company Capital Airlines on Friday resumed its direct flights between Portugal and China.
With more than 170 passengers on board, JD430 conducted the first flight of the new route from Lisbon to Beijing via Xi'an.The resumption of direct flights illustrates a strong cooperation and friendship between the two peoples, Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Portugal Xu Zhida said during a ceremony before the departure of the flight.
Xu Zhida, political Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Portugal, said in his speech that 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Portugal, and that cooperation between China and Portugal in various fields within the framework of "Belt and Road Initiative" has yielded fruitful results and broad prospects. The resumption of direct flights between China and Portugal is a gift to the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.
ANA Aeroportos de Portugal was represented by Nuno Costa, Head of Marketing Aviation.
The opening of this route will provide new opportunities and inject new impetus for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Portugal.
Direct flights will facilitate mutual understanding between the two peoples and set up a bridge between the two cultures, said the Chinese diplomat, adding that it will inject new vitality into bilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Felipe Silva, a board member of Tourism of Portugal, said that the resumption of direct flights will certainly bring more Chinese tourists into Portugal.
Beijing Capital Airlines is a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines (HNA) serving more than 79 destinations in 16 countries. The carrier transfer its hub operations from Beijing Capital Airport to the new Beijing Daxing International Airport upon its completion.
Starting on the 30th of August, BCA will operate Lisboa-Xi’an-Beijing with an Airbus A330 aircraft, with a capacity of 260 passengers. The carrier will fly three times weekly on this route.
BCA once launched a direct service between Hangzhou and Lisbon with a stopover in Beijing in July 2017. This was the first direct flight between China and Portugal. However, the airline suspended the route in October last year (W18).
This operation is our only direct link to Asia and will improve significantly the connectivity between Lisbon and Asian & Australasian markets mainly China which is a strategic market for Lisbon/Portugal.
O&D traffic to Asia & Australasia grew 10% in 2018. Same trend in 2019, until June those markets had a growth of 11%. Since 2015 the average growth per year was 15% (CAGR 2015-2018).