The inaugural flight from Shanghai to Athens landed at Athens International Airport on April 2, marking the transcontinental connection to Shanghai in 2024. The new intercontinental flight is another proof of the airline’s best practice, which reflects its “HVC” strategy (creating a high-value airline), the full implementation of its international development strategy, as well as the active practice of the “Belt and Road” initiative.
“With the strong cooperation and support of all parties, the Shanghai-Athens route of Juneyao Air, which has taken four years to prepare, has been successfully launched; this is thanks to the combined efforts of the leaders of the two countries, China and Greece have continued to push forward the strong development of bilateral relations, the enhancement of the results of economic cooperation, and the advocacy of mutual learning and understanding, and the construction of the ‘Belt and Road’, which provides a solid foundation of confidence for us to operate the Shanghai-Athens route in the long term. Allow me to express my sincere gratitude to the governmental departments of China and Greece, our partners, and customers for their support!” said Wang Junjin, Chairman of Juneyao Air.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated flight HO1657 from Shanghai Pudong to Athens. The flight took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) at 01:55 am on April 2, carrying about 300 passengers, and arrived at Athens International Airport (ATH) at 08:30 am local time after a 12-hour flight and was greeted by the Greek side with the highest courtesy of aviation, the “water salute”.
On behalf of Athens International Airport, Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communications & Marketing, said: “We are excited to welcome our partners and friends of Juneyao Air to Athens for the first time! 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. On behalf of the Athens International Airport, I would like to express our sincere thanks to Juneyao Air for their ‘vote of trust’ in the Athens market and confirm our firm commitment to continue working closely with the airline, aiming at significantly contributing to the success of the route. We wholeheartedly wish our airline partner full and safe flights and continuous.”
Starting April 2, 2024, the Shanghai-Athens route of Juneyao Air will provide passengers with non-stop service using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with three flights per week every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at the beginning of the operation. The flight HO1657 is scheduled to take off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 01:55 am and arrive at Athens International Airport at 08:55 am local time; the return flight HO1658 will take off at 13:45 pm local time and return to Shanghai Pudong at 05:05 am the next day.
Juneyao Air operates a total of 4 transcontinental routes, connecting Shanghai, China’s largest and most dynamic economic centre and Henan, the central province with the greatest development potential, with Helsinki, the gateway to Europe, Milan, the world’s fashion capital, and Athens, the pearl of the Mediterranean. Up to March 2024, Juneyao Air operated more than 1,200 intercontinental flights and carried more than 220,000 passengers.
Since taking delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Juneyao Air has always pursued the “Belt and Road” initiative, adhering to the three main directions: strategically developing its international route network, improving operational capacity and services, and assuming responsibility to serve as a communication link between China and the world.
In addition, with the new Shanghai – Athens intercontinental route, Juneyao Air aims to be able to enter the European market, helping the integrated development of civil aviation, tourism and cultural operators, expanding the service chain at all levels and establishing China’s first enterprise to own an airline and automobile industry.
About Juneyao Air
Founded in 2006, Juneyao Air is one of the leading private-owned carriers in China and the first Connecting Partner of Star Alliance. Currently, the airline reaches nearly 200 destinations in Asia and Europe, with a modern fleet of 95 aircraft, comprising narrow-bodied Airbus A320s and wide-bodied Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
Juneyao Air made history by being the first Chinese private-owned carrier to operate intercontinental flights in June 2019, linking Shanghai and Helsinki daily. The airline is currently operating seven aircraft of this type from its largest hub in Shanghai, and two further aircraft are expected to be delivered before the end of 2024.
Juneyao Air’s flagship – the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, features two cabins of service offering comfortable ergonomic seating, an enhanced personal entertainment system with touchscreens, and high-speed wireless internet access. 29 seats in Business Class have direct access to the aisle and can be fully reclined into a bed position, giving passengers a superior sleep experience, which significantly enhances the level of travel comfort. 295 seats in the Economy Class are designed to provide comfortable personal space and a state-of-the-art individual on-demand entertainment system.
