MADRID, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Air China on Thursday celebrated the tenth anniversary of its direct flight between Madrid and Beijing with a gala event in Madrid's historic Teatro Real.
The carrier also announced the introduction of a new model of Boeing 787 for its fleet and the opening of a new direct route between Barcelona and Shanghai.
The Barcelona-Shanghai route will open on May 5, giving Air China a total of 6 routes to Spain with 15 flights every week.
The event was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Spain Lyu Fan, General Director of Air Traffic at the Spanish Public Work's Ministry Angel Luis Arias, and Director of Tourism from the Madrid Autonomous Community, Carlos Chaguaceda.
Air China's Director General in Spain Han Pengyu said Air China is the biggest operator between China and Europe, by having opened 24 routes to 18 cities in 13 European countries with a total of 270 weekly flights.
According to Ambassador Lyu, 2016 saw 150,000 Spaniards traveled to China while 250,000 Chinese citizens visited Spain.
Lyu said the Barcelona-Shanghai new route is a new symbol of friendship between China and Spain, helping promote cooperation in commerce and tourism.
