emirates7 - Emirates is expanding its presence in China by introducing daily flights to Hangzhou, an eastern Chinese city. On Tuesday, Dubai’s flagship airline revealed plans to begin non-stop daily service between Dubai and Hangzhou starting July 30, pending government approval. This addition marks Hangzhou as Emirates' fifth destination in mainland China, alongside Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.

The new route is scheduled to facilitate smooth connections for passengers traveling to 38 cities in Europe, 22 across Africa, 11 in the Middle East, as well as destinations in Brazil and Argentina. Key cities with convenient onward links include Istanbul, Barcelona, Cairo, and Johannesburg.

While analysts note that Chinese outbound tourism has yet to return to pre-COVID levels, Emirates and other regional airlines have continued to strengthen their footprint in the Chinese market in recent years.

Earlier in the year, Emirates launched services to Shenzhen, becoming the first Middle Eastern carrier to operate flights to that city.