Xinhua News Agency, Kazan, Russia, September 28 (Reporter Huang He) At 17:00 local time on the 28th, a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane taking off from Shanghai Pudong landed smoothly at the Kazan International Airport in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, marking the official opening of the first direct flight between Shanghai and Kazan.
Kazan International Airport held a "water gate" ceremony for the first flight of "Shanghai-Kazan" on the same day, and presented each passenger with local specialty snacks.
Xiang Bo, the Chinese Consul General in Kazan, said at the maiden flight ceremony that on the occasion of celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, and when the Kazan meeting of BRICS leaders is about to be held, the launch of the Shanghai-Kazan route is timely. It is believed that direct flights will not only build a convenient air corridor between Shanghai and Kazan, but also become an accelerator of cultural exchanges and economic cooperation between the two sides, bringing more opportunities and possibilities for cooperation between China, the Russian Republic of Tatarstan and other regions.
Li Ye, deputy general manager of China Eastern Airlines Group Co., Ltd., said at the ceremony that the Shanghai-Kazan regular route operated by China Eastern Airlines is the first direct passenger route between the two places, and is another achievement of the comprehensive advancement of exchanges between Russia's Volga Federal District and China.
Ivanov, Chairman of the Tourism Committee of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, said that the opening of direct flights will make Kazan another entry point for Chinese tourists to Russia, creating many opportunities for the people of the two countries to understand each other. “The Republic of Tatarstan and Kazan welcome more Chinese tourists.”
"We saw Russian friends singing and dancing as soon as we got off the plane, which moved us deeply!" Ms. Tang from Shanghai told Xinhua News Agency that she and her family have always wanted to visit Russia. The opening of direct flights gave her the opportunity to go to Kazan to experience the blend of multiculturalism.
Passenger Ms. He told Xinhua News Agency that the opening of direct flights has saved travel time, and "I hope to take this flight with my parents to travel to Kazan again in the future."
Kazan, the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, is an ancient city with a thousand-year history and an important tourist city in Russia. It is reported that China Eastern Airlines plans to operate three round-trip flights per week on the "Shanghai-Kazan" direct flight route. Before the opening of direct flights, passengers traveling between Shanghai and Kazan needed to transit in a third place such as Moscow or Dubai.
