It takes just 9.5 hours to reach Minsk from Beijing and 13 on the return leg, having 90 minutes layover in Budapest
Passengers of Beijing flight at Minsk airport
Stronger trade and economic ties between Belarus and China have inspired the launch of the new flights, which are likely to serve those travelling on business, not just from Belarus but from neighbouring countries — such as Latvia and Lithuania, explains the Director General of the Minsk office for Air China, Wang Jen Feng.
The airline is now flying to our country four times weekly and hopes to make the Minsk-Beijing return route direct within the next two years, to avoid landing in Budapest. The first flight had just 38 seats booked from China to Belarus but experts are confident of future demand. The number of people flying between Belarus and Asia has increased by 26 percent annually of late (on average).
Belavia is now running a five-hour flight between Minsk and Almaty, as the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belarus, H.E. Yergali Bulegenov, notes. He emphasises that Almaty is the ‘heart’ of South Kazakhstan, being a hub for culture, business, tourism, and finances. He has no doubt that the route will be of interest to the business community.
The Deputy Director General of Belavia, Igor Cherginets, tells us that, based on passenger traffic, the flight to Almaty was suggested a few years ago. However, the carrier has only recently acquired more aircraft able to fly the distance without stopping. The route is operating twice weekly but the frequency of flights may rise to one daily if demand allows.
Photo: Sergey Lozyuk
By Alexander Pimenov
