According to a statement sent by the company to Lusa, the inaugural flight JD627 departed at 10:55 am (Beijing time) and landed at 5:15 pm (local time) at Lisbon Airport, marking the first direct connection between Daxing and the Portuguese capital.

The route, with an approximate duration of 13 hours, will be operated weekly on Mondays using a wide-body Airbus A330. Portugal already has a regular flight to China operated by the same company twice a week, between Lisbon and Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province.

This connection operates two flights per week and has been running regularly since the resumption of air links between the two countries following the end of the Chinese 'zero Covid' policy.

Currently, there are no regular direct flights between Lisbon and Beijing, and connections usually involve stopovers at European or Middle Eastern hubs.

At the welcoming ceremony, organised jointly with ANA Aeroportos de Portugal and the Chinese Embassy in Lisbon, Ambassador Yang Yirui stated that "this connection constitutes an important milestone in aeronautical cooperation between China and Portugal, contributing to deepening bilateral collaboration in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, education and cultural exchange."

ANA's commercial director, Karen Strougo, highlighted in the statement that "Lisbon reinforces its position as a European hub and transatlantic platform, allowing passengers from China to access destinations in Europe, America and Africa through the TAP Air Portugal network."

Successful inauguration

Meanwhile, Capital Airlines representative Coral Chen emphasised that "the successful inauguration of the Beijing Daxing-Lisbon route was only possible thanks to the support of the Chinese and Portuguese government authorities, civil aviation regulatory bodies, partner airports and all sectors of society." Since the beginning of the year, Daxing Airport has inaugurated several international routes, including direct flights to Helsinki, Frankfurt, and Milan, further expanding its European network, the airport told the Chinese state-run Global Times on 22 June.

Expansion of direct air links

The expansion of direct air links between Portugal and China also occurs in a context marked by operational asymmetries in the aviation sector.

Chinese airlines continue to benefit from access to Russian airspace, unlike European carriers, which are prevented from using it following sanctions imposed on Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine.

This difference translates into shorter routes and lower operating costs for Chinese companies on flights between Asia and Europe, giving them a significant competitive advantage over their European counterparts, which are forced to bypass Russian airspace, increasing flight times and fuel consumption.

Capital Airlines was jointly funded and established by the Beijing Municipal Government and the HNA Aviation Group in 2010.

The company inaugurated the first direct air link between China and Portugal in 2017. In its first year of flying to Portugal, the company transported more than 80,000 passengers, according to company data.

The average flight occupancy rate was 80% in the weakest months, while in the high season it exceeded 95%.