Photo: Courtesy of Hainan Airlines

Hainan Airlines restarts direct route from Beijing to Belgrade, and the first flight was greeted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in person on Saturday.

It is one of the first intercontinental regular passenger routes that Hainan Airlines has resumed in Beijing since the epidemic outbreak began.

Vucic said at the airport that Serbia will never forget China's help during the difficult times. The launch of direct flights between China and Serbia is of great significance, as Serbia becomes the first country in the region to operate direct flight with China, which will make the travel to China more convenient, he said.

Air Serbia is expected to launch a direct flight to China as well within the year, he said. 

Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo said the restart of the route will greatly facilitate personnel exchanges between China and Serbia and promote cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

The service will operate on Saturdays.

Photo: Courtesy of Hainan Airlines

Hainan Airlines opened the route from Beijing to Belgrade via a stop at Prague in September 2017, and the route was suspended in 2020 due to the epidemic. 

So far, the carrier has restarted seven international routes such as flights from Beijing to Brussels and Shenzhen to Vancouver.

China will enhance communication with countries to increase international flights during the second half of this year, an official from the Civil Aviation Administration of China said recently, as China has relaxed inbound travel restrictions. 

A number of domestic and international carriers have resumed international flight services in recent days, with China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Japan's All Nippon Airways restarting their international services.

Global Times