(ECNS) -- Flight JU986 from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport successfully landed in the Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Saturday, inaugurating the new direct air route between the two cities.
This is the first international route launched at the airport in 2025 and marks the maiden operation of a route by Air Serbia at the airport.
Operated by Air Serbia's Airbus A330, the route is scheduled to run twice a week. Flights from Shanghai to Belgrade will depart at 10:25 p.m. Beijing time every Wednesday and Sunday, arriving in Belgrade at 4:45 a.m. local time the following day. The return flight from Nikola Tesla Airport will take off at 12:40 a.m. local time every Tuesday and Saturday, landing at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 6:55 p.m. Beijing time.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Serbia. The launch of the new route further cements Shanghai’s position as a global aviation hub, while boosting collaboration between China and Serbia in trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges.
In 2024, Shanghai Airport (Group) Co., Ltd. expanded its global connectivity by adding 19 routes and resuming eight international destinations. Among them, those direct routes to Marseille in France, Venice in Italy, Manama in Bahrain, and Kazan in Russia were introduced as the first of their kind in China.
Shanghai now boasts a comprehensive airport hub network, linking 291 destinations across 48 countries worldwide.
Statistics released by customs authorities at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Sunday show that since 2024, the customs office has facilitated the entry of 10 new airlines and supported the launch or resumption of 30 international passenger and cargo routes at the airport.