China Eastern Airlines is launching a new flight route connecting Auckland with the large Chinese city of Hangzhou, which has a population of over 10 million. From November 5, there will be four flights per week on this route. Two of these flights will be direct from Hangzhou to Auckland, returning via Sydney. The other two will stop in Sydney first before continuing to Auckland.
This airline has been serving Auckland from Shanghai since 2014, with up to 11 weekly flights before the pandemic. With the introduction of these new services, the airline will return to its previous flight frequency.
For these routes, China Eastern Airlines will use its A330 aircraft. Hangzhou, known historically as “the House of Silk”, has fabrics from the area dating back 4700 years. The city is recognised for its rich history, once praised by Italian explorer Marco Polo for its grandeur.
In a lighter note, Hangzhou’s zoo recently made headlines due to a sun bear named Angela. Videos of Angela, with her notably human-like appearance, gained worldwide attention, leading the zoo to confirm she is, indeed, a bear.