On Thursday, August 8, Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Armen Simonyan, met with a delegation led by China’s chargé d'affaires in Armenia, Chen Min. During the meeting, the parties discussed the details of organizing the first direct flight on the Urumqi-Yerevan-Urumqi route, which is scheduled to begin on September 3 this year.
The participants emphasized the importance of establishing direct air communication between Armenia and China, noting that this will significantly contribute to the development of tourism between the two countries.
Earlier, BMG reported that China Southern Airlines announced the launch of direct flights between Armenia and China. The first destination will be Urumqi, the largest city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, with a population of four million people.
Flights will be operated twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, starting from September 3. Tickets are already available for purchase, with a round-trip fare of approximately $800, according to Vandrouki.
China is among Armenia's top three largest trading partners. In terms of trade, Beijing ranks third after Russia and the UAE, with a trade volume of $1.4 billion. Trade with China increased by 41.9% in the first half of 2024. Notably, exports from Armenia to China surged 3.4 times to $714.3 million, while imports decreased by 11.7% to $693 million.
Experts note that the direct flight between Armenia and China will be an important step in strengthening bilateral ties and economic cooperation. The launch of this route will simplify travel for citizens and is expected to boost tourism and business exchanges between the two countries.
