CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- On October 31, Tianjin Airlines Chongqing Operation Base Opening Ceremony & Inaugural Flight Ceremony of Non-stop Chongqing-Melbourne Route was held at Jiangbei International Airport. This marked the official establishment of the Tianjin Airlines Chongqing operation base and official opening of the first non-stop flight to Melbourne.

Tianjin Airlines sets up operation base in Chongqing.

Tianjin Airlines has eight operation bases in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Guizhou, Haikou, Xi’an, Dalian, etc. With the continuous development of the southwest airline market and by virtue of the favorable geographical advantages of Chongqing, Tianjin Airlines set up the operation base to improve its airline network in southwest China.

According to staff at the new operation base, after Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport’s T3A was put into operation, the function of Chongqing as an international aviation hub, was further improved. In the future, Tianjin Airlines will open more international routes from Chongqing to popular travel destinations to provide more convenient conditions for the travel of tourists in southwest China.

First non-stop flight from Chongqing to Melbourne, with single-trip time about 10.5 hours

At the airport, Tianjin Airlines announced the beginning of the Chongqing-Melbourne route and the first flight took off on that night.

As for the newly-opened Chongqing-Melbourne intercontinental route, the outbound flight number is GS7945 and there is one flight on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, taking off from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport at 22:10 and arriving at Melbourne at 11:40 next day. The inbound flight number is GS7946 and there is one flight on every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, leaving Melbourne at 13:40 and arriving at Chongqing at 21:40 (the above times are local).

The Airbus A330 wide-body plane will be used for the flight, which features the classic dual-aisle layout and can carry 260 passengers. It is more comfortable compared with A320. The entire plane cabin is equipped with an onboard entertainment system to provide a more comfortable experience for the long journey of passengers.

The duration of the flight is about 10.5 hours. Compared with having a connecting flight, it can save much waiting time for passengers to bring better travel experience.

By 2020, Chongqing will open about 100 international routes.

The non-stop flight from Chongqing to New York was opened on October 20. Only 10 days later, the non-stop flight from Chongqing to Melbourne was launched.

According to the Chongqing Transport Commission, with the opening of non-stop flights from Chongqing to Melbourne, non-stop flights to Oceania have been connected to Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. This will provide people with more convenient travel schedules and attract more passengers to transfer in Chongqing, promoting the construction of China’s international aviation hub.

Meanwhile, the total international and regional routes opened in Chongqing will reach 68, connecting 52 cities of 22 countries on four continents.

In the future, citizens will enjoy more convenient travel by air. According to Chongqing Transport Commission, by 2020, the international and regional routes of Jiangbei Airport will reach about 100, with passenger throughput of more than 50 million people and international passenger throughput reaching 5 million travelers. The international aviation hub is basically built up. (Translated by Huang Juan, Fathom Language Limited)