China Eastern Airways operated its first flight on its new route between Madrid and Shanghai, it was reported Wednesday.
The first aircraft to fly the route arrived in Madrid from Shanghai on Tuesday evening, before taking off on the return flight.
China Eastern Airlines will fly the route four times a week, with flights scheduled on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday in an Airbus 330-200 aircraft.
This is the fifth new route China Eastern Airlines has opened in 2016, following the start of flights to Paris, Chicago, Amsterdam and St Petersburg.
China Eastern Airways opened the Madrid-Shanghai route on the same day that Spanish national carrier Iberia also made its first flight between the two cities.
Iberia will fly the route three times a week meaning that the options for Chinese and Spanish passengers has suddenly increased from no direct flights between Madrid and Shanghai to seven a week.
