China Eastern Airlines has opened reservations for a new route linking Shanghai and Istanbul, becoming the first Chinese carrier to offer a nonstop connection between the cities.

Flights from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to Istanbul Airport (IST) will launch on Sept. 28, operating three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The SkyTeam alliance member intends to deploy Airbus A330 aircraft on the route.

China Eastern will provide competition for Turkish Airlines, which serves the 4,982-mi. (4,329-nm) sector daily using Boeing 777-300ER equipment. Turkey’s flag-carrier restarted the route in January 2023 after a near three-year suspension because of the pandemic. Frequencies were restored to daily in July.

Statistics provided by Sabre Market Intelligence indicate that Turkish Airlines transported approximately 205,300 two-way passengers on this route in 2019. The figure translates to around 281 passengers per day in both directions. Analysis of the travel pattern from IST to PVG reveals that approximately 69% of passengers initiated their journey from destinations located behind Turkey's primary international gateway.

At present, Turkish Airlines provides almost 4,900 two-way weekly seats between Istanbul and Shanghai, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows, while China Eastern’s planned entry to the market is set to add a further 1,600.

The addition of China Eastern represents a significant win for Istanbul Airport, which has been seeking to increase connectivity to Asia and diversify its carrier base. Speaking to Aviation Week in June, CEO Kadri Samsunlu said the Routes World 2023 host was working to attract new point-to-point routes, particularly from destinations in China and India.

“Turkish Airlines is our primary carrier, and we rely on their organic growth. However, we cannot be complacent just because Turkish Airlines is growing,” Samsunlu said.

“We have abundant capacity to fill, and for inorganic growth, we need to attract new airlines or encourage existing ones to increase their frequencies and destinations. This requires tailored solutions for every airline and compelling business proposals.”

China Eastern’s proposed service to Istanbul coincides with the steady resumption of capacity between mainland China and Europe. This follows Beijing's decision in January 2023 to reopen its borders to international visitors, eliminating the need for incoming travelers to undergo quarantine measures.

Resumptions in recent months have included Air China’s service between Beijing Capital and Barcelona, Spain; Hainan Airlines’ flights linking Shenzhen, China, and Brussels; and China Eastern’s Shanghai-Madrid route. Additionally, Xiamen Airlines began a new route linking Chinese port city Xiamen and Paris Charles de Gaulle in July; Beijing Capital Airlines commenced Hangzhou-Madrid flights on Aug. 27; and Shenzhen Airlines started a 2X-weekly Shenzhen-Barcelona service the following day.

Overall two-way capacity between mainland China and Europe currently stands at about 266,200 weekly seats, which is approximately 41% lower than at this time in 2019. However, the European region is performing better than the likes of North America (-91%), Southeast Asia (-54%) and South Asia (-52%).