On the early morning of June 27th, China Southern Airlines' first direct flight from Guangzhou to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, took off from Baiyun International Airport, marking the opening of the first direct air route between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Hungary.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary. Hungary is located at the geographical center of Europe, has a rich cultural heritage, and was the first European country to join the "Belt and Road" initiative. In recent years, trade relations between the two countries have developed rapidly, with pragmatic cooperation yielding fruitful results. China has become Hungary's largest trading partner outside Europe and its most important cooperative partner in the investment field.
Han Wensheng, President of China Southern Air Holding Company Limited, said that the departure time for the Guangzhou-Budapest route meets the demand for passengers traveling from Budapest to Europe. In contrast, the arrival time for the return trip is well connected with flights from Guangzhou to multiple domestic cities. The opening of this route will effectively promote bilateral trade, tourism cooperation, and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Peter Varfi, Consul General of Hungary in Guangzhou, said there has been a notable increase in the frequency of high-level visits in the past few years. "We firmly believed that this new route would further facilitate such important visits and foster even closer ties between our two nations, promoting mutual understanding and cooperation in not only cultural, educational, industrial, commercial, and many more fields," said Varfi.
As scheduled, the new flight will depart from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 00:55 (Beijing Time) and arrive at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport at 07:20 (local time), with a flight duration of approximately 12 hours and 25 minutes. The return flight will depart from Budapest at 13:00 (local time) and arrive in Guangzhou at 05:55 (Beijing Time) the next day, with a flight duration of approximately 10 hours and 55 minutes.
Passengers arriving in Guangzhou can enjoy convenient connections to major cities in China and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. Meanwhile, passengers arriving in Budapest can enjoy seamless connections to other European cities, including Bucharest in Romania, Belgrade in Serbia, Paris in France, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, through codeshare partners of China Southern Airlines.
After the launch, China Southern Airlines will have 53 international routes starting from Guangzhou, with 11 routes connecting Guangzhou to Europe. And the number of international routes linking China and Europe will reach 19.
Reporters | Hu Nan and Qin Shaolong from Budapest, Hungary
Editor | Abby, James
