Chinese carrier Beijing Capital Airlines inaugurated a new direct route between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Lisbon on Monday, which will operate for approximately three months.
According to a company statement sent to Lusa, the inaugural flight, JD627, departed Beijing at 10:55 AM and touched down at 5:15 PM local time at Lisbon Airport, marking the first-ever direct connection between the Daxing hub and the Portuguese capital. The 13-hour route will operate on a weekly basis, flying on Mondays using wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft.
Portugal already holds a regular connection to China operated twice a week by the same airline between Lisbon and Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. That specific route has run continuously since air links between the two countries were restored following the end of China’s “zero-COVID” policy.
Until now, regular direct flights between Lisbon and Beijing were unavailable, with travelers forced to rely on layovers in European or Middle Eastern hubs. The airline’s announcement comes amid the geopolitical conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which has triggered widespread flight cancellations across the Middle East.
Read more about this topic: Macau and Portugal “cautious” about establishing direct flight to Lisbon
During a welcome ceremony organized alongside ANA Aeroportos de Portugal and the Chinese Embassy in Lisbon, Ambassador Yang Yirui emphasized that the connection is a major milestone in China-Portugal aviation cooperation, helping to deepen bilateral collaboration across trade, investment, tourism, education, and cultural exchange.
ANA Commercial Director Karen Strougo highlighted that the route reinforces Lisbon’s position as a European hub and transatlantic platform, allowing passengers from China to access destinations in Europe, the Americas, and Africa via the TAP Air Portugal network.
Meanwhile, Capital Airlines representative Coral Chen credited the successful launch to strong support from government and civil aviation authorities in both nations.
Since the beginning of the year, Daxing Airport has consistently expanded its European network, adding direct routes to Helsinki, Frankfurt, and Milan, according to statements given to the Global Times. However, this expansion of direct flights arrives amid operational asymmetries in the aviation sector.
Read more about this topic: Lisbon and Beijing will have a direct flight for three months this summer
Chinese airlines continue to benefit from access to Russian airspace, unlike European carriers, which are barred from utilizing it due to sanctions imposed on Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine. This disparity allows Chinese companies to operate shorter routes with lower operational costs between Asia and Europe, gaining a competitive edge over European counterparts that must bypass Russian airspace, thereby increasing flight times and fuel consumption.
Capital Airlines was established in 2010 through joint funding from the Beijing Municipal Government and the HNA Aviation Group. The carrier initially launched the historic first-ever direct air connection between China and Portugal back in 2017.
In its first year of operating flights to Portugal, the company transported more than 80,000 passengers, maintaining an average occupancy rate of 80% during low seasons and exceeding 95% during peak travel periods.
