(Yicai Global) Nov. 6 -- China Eastern Airlines will inaugurate two new air routes between Pudong New Area in Shanghai and Budapest, Hungary late next month, with stops at the major cities of Chengdu or Xi'an in western China, to expand aviation travel between China's West and Central and Eastern Europe.

The Hungarian government, Sichuan provincial government, Shaanxi provincial government and China Eastern together announced the new services yesterday on the opening day of the second China International Import Expo, Shanghai Observer reported.

The Pudong-Xi'an-Budapest and Pudong-Chengdu-Budapest routes will each have two round-trip flights a week. The Shanghai-based air carrier will have seven Shanghai-Budapest flights with the new routes and existing direct flights between the two and will thus become the biggest air carrier flying between the two countries and claim 44 percent of their joint airline capacity.

Editor: Ben Armour