SHANGHAI, Feb. 8, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

New forms and changes are expected to be observed in this year's Spring Festival travel rush in China.
 
China Eastern has stepped up efforts to newly open and resume international routes.
 
Recently, it launched the Beijing Daxing-Kuala Lumpur route and resumed the Shanghai Pudong-Cairns, Australia route. It will also add 15 new international routes, including a new Pudong-Perth route, and increase flight frequencies between Pudong and Sydney, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Male routes.
 
During the Spring Festival travel rush, CEA will increase its investment in Southeast Asian island destinations to meet travel demand.
 
With more flights to Southeast Asia, more passengers from Southeast Asian countries are expected to travel to or transit through China during the festival period.
 
Within the 40 days of the Spring Festival travel rush, CEA plans to operate 2,322 round-trip flights between domestic airports and Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.
 
The newly opened Beijing Daxing - Kuala Lumpur route is numbered MU795/796, with 4 round-trip flights per week.
 
Currently, CEA operates 4 routes to Kuala Lumpur - Shanghai Pudong to Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai Pudong to Sabah, Hangzhou to Kuala Lumpur, and Beijing Daxing to Kuala Lumpur. A total of 340 round-trip flights have been planned for these routes during the Spring Festival travel rush this year.
 
CEA will also open new direct routes from Kunming, Xi'an, Chengdu and more to Kuala Lumpur.
 
In Singapore, CEA operates 8 routes flying to Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Daxing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Kunming and more. In Thailand, the airline company flies directly to Shanghai, Kunming, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an and 5 other destinations. During the Spring Festival travel rush this year, the number of flights will be increased to 66 per day.
 
In addition to Southeast Asia, Australia has also become a popular destination during the winter due to its pleasant climate. The newly resumed direct flight route from Shanghai Pudong to Cairns, Australia, is the 9th route operated by CEA between China and Australia. This seasonal route will be in operation from Feb. 1 to Feb. 18, with flights available every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
 
In Australia, CEA operates flights to five destinations, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Cairns. With expansion of routes, CEA will bring more convenience for personnel and trade exchanges between China and Australia.
 
Source: China Eastern Airlines

--BERNAMA