Carrying some 89 tons of cargo, China Cargo Airlines of Eastern Air Logistics launched its first all-cargo direct flight between East China's Shanghai and Budapest of Hungary on Tuesday, a move aimed at deepening the consolidation of freight networks as the trade between China and central Europe increases, according to Eastern Air Logistics, the freight unit under parent company China Eastern Air Holding.

Taking off from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 5:03 am on Tuesday, the flight is expected to arrive at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport on the same date (local time) after about 12 hours. The all-cargo flight will operate three times a week.

China Cargo Airlines is currently operating 48 cargo flights (round trip), including this route, in four European destinations of London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Budapest on a weekly basis.

Carrying some 89 tons of cargo, China Cargo Airlines of Eastern Air Logistics launches its first all-cargo direct flight between East China's Shanghai and Budapest of Hungary on July 16. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Guo Lijun, chief economist of China Eastern Airlines and chairman of Eastern Air Logistics, called the flight a major move to promote the Belt and Road Initiative and the dual-circulation development pattern, as well as an effort to deepen the economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe.

"The opening of the new route marks the expansion of China Eastern in global cargo aviation market. It will not only meet the growing demand for high value-added products of electronic products, biomedicine, fresh agricultural products of both China and Hungary, but also offer more convenient and efficient transportation solutions for cross-border e-commerce, express delivery, logistics and more, " Guo said.

"This inaugural flight represents a monumental milestone as it is the first direct cargo connection between the two vibrant cities. The frequency of passenger flights between Hungary and China has seen a significant increase, underscoring the deepening connection between our countries," said Szilard Bolla, Hungarian consul-general in Shanghai.

"The launch of this direct cargo flight is more than a new route on the map; it symbolizes the enduring friendship and growing partnership between Hungary and China. It stands as a testament to our shared commitment to economic growth, connectivity, and cooperation. We look forward to more such milestones in the future, which will bring our nations even closer," Bolla said.

This year is the 75th anniversary of China and Hungary establishing bilateral diplomatic relations. According to Guo, Hungary was the first European country to sign the BRI cooperation agreement with China, and it is also China's first investment destination and an important trade partner in central and eastern Europe.

Thanks to the closer economic and trade ties between the two nations, China has become Hungary's largest trading partner outside Europe. Bilateral trade volume between China and Hungary surpassed 102.2 billion yuan in 2023, according to statistics from the China Customs, and there appears rapidly growing demand in air logistics from booming cross-border e-commerce.

"We believe the new flight between Shanghai's Pudong International Airport and Budapest will further promote the economic, trade and cultural exchanges between China and Europe, and inject new vitality into the economic and social prosperity and development of the two countries," Guo said.