For the first time in four years, direct flights are running again between the capitals of China and Serbia.
On Saturday morning a Chinese Hainan Airlines Airbus A330 landed at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport, carrying 200 passengers, including China's Ambassador to Serbia, Chen Bo. It's the first time a direct flight from China has landed here since 2018.
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Serbia's president Aleksandar Vucic was at the airport to greet both the landmark flight and the ambassador, hailing the reopening of the route as "an important result" for the two countries.
"We will attract more tourists and business people from the People's Republic of China," said the Serbian leader. "It will also bring China closer to Serbia."
Direct flights are running again between the capitals of China and Serbia for the first time in four years. /Aljosa Milenkovic/CGTN Europe
Business ties between the two countries have rapidly expanded in recent years.
Chinese investments and business operations in Serbia have therefore demanded a quicker way for transporting people and goods between the nations, making the introduction of the new air route a must.
Hainan Airlines will fly between Beijing and Belgrade once a week, while the Serbian national carrier Air Serbia will start flying from Belgrade to Tianjin on the same schedule from September.
Both Serbia and China are hoping to start reaping the benefits, with Belgrade looking to become a more prominent player in the transportation market – a fact Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo noted in her address on disembarking the plane.
"It is how the position of Serbia will be strengthened, as well as Belgrade as the regional transportation hub," she said.
Serbia's president Aleksandar Vucic was at the airport to greet both the landmark flight and the Chinese ambassador. /Aljosa Milenkovic/CGTN Europe
Rarely for a European country, Serbia now has direct flights to China, the U.S. and Russia, as well as all major EU airports.
It also has a visa-free arrangement with China, and having recently lifted all its COVID-19 restrictions for inbound travelers, it is becoming a more attractive destination for Chinese tourists and business people.
And with the latest news that the two countries are set to sign a free trade agreement, the links between China and Serbia could soon mean many more flights between the two capitals.