Chinese Carriers Seeking to Offer Direct Beijing-Athens Flights

Ties between Greece and China are getting stronger by the day after plans by Air China and China Eastern Airlines to introduce direct flights to Athens.

Speaking to cruise sector professionals about Cosco’s plans to bring in more Chinese travelers to Greece, Piraeus Port Authority Managing Director Fu Cheng Qiu said Air China is expected to launch direct flights from Beijing to Athens in the fall, most likely in September.

He added that Cosco Shipping had already signed an agreement with China Eastern Airlines, China’s third largest, for the charter of flights directly from Chinese cities transporting Chinese travelers to Greece, who will then board cruise ships setting off from Piraeus to the Aegean, the Adriatic and the Mediterranean.

The exact dates as well as the details of the agreements are expected to be announced after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ visit to Beijing next week for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) on May 14-15.

Flag carrier Air China currently offers Athens-Beijing flights twice a week via Munich.