Juneyao Air: Nonstop Service from Shanghai to Athens in April 2024

Photo © acephotography/Athanassios Anagnostopoulos / Athens International Airport

Juneyao Air, a leading private-owned carrier in China, on Thursday announced the upcoming launch of a new route from its Shanghai hub to Athens, Greece, with its flagship Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, further expanding its network in Europe.

The first Connecting Partner of Star Alliance, Juneyao Air will operate the route three times per week and begin from April 2024, using a two-cabin Boeing 787 Dreamliner; being the only and first Chinese carrier flies directly on this Shanghai-Athens route.

According to an announcement, this is part of Juneyao Air’s plan to offer more global connectivity from China.

“Relying on the Belt and Road Initiative, Juneyao Air takes the lead to operate the intercontinental route among Chinese private-owned carriers,” said Juneyao Air CEO Yu Chengji.

Athens will be Juneyao’s 3rd European destination

Photo source: Juneyao Air

In addition to the Shanghai-Athens route, Juneyao Air also operates three nonstop routes connecting China to Europe: Shanghai-Helsinki, Zhengzhou-Helsinki, and Zhengzhou-Milan, carrying over 180,000 travelers in the past four years.

“We choose Athens as Juneyao’s third European destination, because of the rich tourism resources of Athens and the Mediterranean and their increasingly closer commercial connection with China,” Chengji said.

“The new route will further improve communication between the Chinese and Greek people, and boost the business, trade, tourism and culture connections between those two regions.”

Athens International Airport (AIA) Director of Communications & Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou welcomed Juneyao Air to Athens for the first time and thanked the airline for its “vote of trust” in the Athens market.

“In such a strategically important market as China, Shanghai has until now recorded the highest rates of indirect passenger traffic to Athens, so the launch of the direct connection for the first time is one of the most important developments for the airport, our city and country,” Papadopoulou said, adding that AIA will work closely with the airline, aiming at significantly contributing to the success of the route.

Juneyao Air reaches more than 200 destinations in Asia and Europe, with a modern fleet of 92 aircrafts. The carrier has been awarded Skytrax World’s Best Regional Airlines in China in 2022.