China Eastern Airlines has announced that it will launch a new direct flight between Shanghai and Istanbul starting from September 28, 2023.

This marks the first time a Chinese airline has operated a route between China and Turkey, connecting the two globally renowned cities and important aviation hubs.

The flight numbers for the Shanghai-Istanbul route will be MU703/704, with three weekly flights. Departing from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 01:30 Beijing time on each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, the flight will arrive at Istanbul Airport at 08:30 local time. The return flights will leave Istanbul Airport at 14:00 local time on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and land at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 05:30 Beijing time the following day.

Istanbul, situated on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait, is the only city in the world that spans two continents. With the steady and rapid growth of the civil aviation travel market in 2023, China Eastern Airlines is actively expanding its international route network, and the Shanghai-Istanbul route has become a key focus.

The scheduling of the Shanghai-Istanbul flight is designed to benefit both direct passengers and connecting passengers. For direct passengers, it ensures convenient and efficient travel, and for connecting passengers, it provides more options and improves efficiency.

Passengers arriving in Istanbul at 08:30 in the morning, can easily connect to subsequent flights to destinations in Europe, Africa, and other regions. Similarly, passengers arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport can take advantage of the extensive flight network at the airport to efficiently connect to domestic destinations in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, as well as flights to Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea, especially those managed by China Eastern Airlines, the largest carrier based at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.