‘El. Venizelos’: The direct launch of Shanghai – Athens by Juneao Air has been successful

The opening flight from her to her landed at Athens International Airport on April 2, marking the successful launch of the first direct intercontinental connection with Shanghai in 2024, which is the fourth intercontinental route to be conducted by Juneao Air. The new intercontinental flight is still a proof of the company’s best practice, which reflects the strategy of the ‘HVC’ (high-value airline creation), the full implementation of its strategy for international development, as well as the active practice of the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative (‘A Belt and Road Initiative’). “Let me express my sincere gratitude to the government agencies of China and Greece, our partners and customers for their support!” said Wang Junjin, President of Juneao Air, adding, “With the assistance of support and effective cooperation of all parties, the Shanghai – Athens route of Juneao Air, for which four years of preparation were required, was successfully inaugurated. This is due to the joint effort of the leaderships of the two countries, China and Greece, which continued to promote the strong development of bilateral relations, the strengthening of the results of economic cooperation, the defence of mutual understanding and learning, as well as the creation of the “one Zone and one Road”, which provides a solid basis of trust to carry out the Shanghai route- Athens in the long term”. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft made the HO1657 flight from Shanghai Pudong to Athens with the special exterior decoration “Colorful Petals”, which remains extremely popular among passengers. The flight took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) at 01:55 a.m. (local) on 2 April, carrying nearly 300 passengers, and landed after 12 hours at Athens International Airport (ATH) at 08:30 a.m., local time, where it received the highest price in the air environment, reception with the traditional “water arch”. On behalf of Athens International Airport, Communication & Marketing Director Ioanna Papadopoulou said: “We are excited to welcome our partners and friends of Juneao Air in Athens for the first time! In a market of strategic importance such as China, Shanghai has so far recorded the highest traffic rates through intermediate destinations in Athens, so the start of the new direct connection for the first time is one of the most important development developments for our airport, our city and the country. On behalf of Athens International Airport, we express our sincere thanks to Juneao Air for the “trust vote” in the Athens market and reaffirm our firm commitment to continue our close cooperation with the airline, aiming to contribute substantially to the success of the route. We wholeheartedly wish our air partner constant, full and safe flights. “ Starting on 2 April 2024, the Shanghai – Athens route of Juneao Air will offer passengers a direct flight with Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with three flights a week, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, at an initial stage. This is also the first direct flight to connect Shanghai and Athens. Flight HO1657 is scheduled to depart Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 01:55 a.m. and land at Athens International Airport at 08:55 a.m., local time. The HO1658 return flight will depart at 13:45 local time and land at Shanghai Pudong at 05:05 a.m. the next day. From the receipt of the airline’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in October 2018 and the launch of its first intercontinental Shanghai-Elsinski route in June 2019, Juneyao Air has always exercised the “Belt and Road” initiative, respecting the three main directions: the strategy of developing its international route network, improving operational capacity and services, and assuming responsibility to serve as a communication link between China and the world. Currently, including the Shanghai – Athens route, Juneao Air operates a total of 4 intercontinental routes, connecting Shanghai, China’s largest and most dynamic economic center and Henan, the central province with the greatest development potential, with Helsinki, the portal of Europe, Milan, the world’s fashion capital, and Athens, the pearl of the Mediterranean. By March 2024, Juneao Air performed more than 1,200 intercontinental flights and carried more than 220,000 passengers. In addition, with the new Shanghai – Athens intercontinental route, the Juneyao Journey strategy formally established by Juneao Group, the parent group of Juneao Air, is also expected to take advantage of the opportunity to enter the European market. The strategy focuses on the development of the “air-land integration”, helping the integrated development of civil aviation, tourism and cultural operators, expanding the service chain at all levels and creating China’s first airline and automotive business. The Juneyao Journey service product series, including the ‘Juneyao Auto’ electric vehicle, will in future bring ‘door-to-door’ comfortable travel and services to users in many European countries, including Greece and provide more practical examples for the construction of ‘Belt and Road’ between China and Europe at a high level. About Juneao Air Juneao Air was founded in 2006 and is one of China’s top private airlines and the first to become a Connecting Partner of Star Alliance. The company currently flies to about 200 destinations in Asia and Europe, with a modern fleet of 95 aircraft including Airbus A320 narrow fuselage and Boeing 787-9 wide fuselage Dreamliner. A historic milestone is that Juneao Air became the first Chinese private airline to operate intercontinental flights since June 2019, with Shanghai’s daily connection to Helsinki. From its largest hub/base in Shanghai, the company operates with 7 aircraft of this type, while 2 more aircraft are expected to have been delivered by the end of 2024. Juneao Air’s “navigator” – Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – pronounces two cabins with comfortable financial position seats, enhanced individual entertainment program with touch screens and quick wireless Internet access. The 29 seats in the Business Class offer direct access to the runway and are fully tilted in a place-bed, providing passengers wishing to sleep an excellent experience and upgrading the comfort level during flight. The 295 seats in the Economic Position are designed to provide comfortable personal space and state-of-the-art individual entertainment system on-demand.