EgyptAir announces direct flights to China's Hangzhou

CAIRO, Nov 30 (MENA) - EgyptAir operated on Friday its first non-stop flight to Hangzhou, China from Cairo International Airport terminal 3, carrying 260 passengers.

The new airline came in line with Egypt's keenness to expand to the Asian market, and activate the movement of tourism coming from the Far Eastern cities, Chairman and CEO of EgyptAir Airlines Ashraf El-Kholy said.

The company also aims to provide a distinctive service at a competitive price, El-Kholy added.

"The inauguration of the new routes comes within EgyptAir's interest in expanding in the Asian market and providing a distinctive service at a competitive price," said a statement on EgyptAir's official website.

EgyptAir, a Star Alliance member, has previously been operating daily flight to Guangzhou, three flights a week to Beijing and two flights a week to Chengdu, said Xinhua.

Egypt is a favorable attraction to hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists each year for its historical sites and sunny sandy beaches.

Nearly half a million Chinese tourists visited Egypt in 2018 compared with only 300,000 in 2017, amid expectations of more tourists visiting the Middle Eastern country in 2019, according to official statistics.