(Yicai) March 14 -- The growing number of air routes between China and the Middle East is a reflection of the deepening cooperation between the two regions, according to a civil aviation industry expert.

With other international routes still relatively restricted, surplus Chinese wide-body aircraft capacity can be more effectively deployed on Middle Eastern routes, Lin Zhijie told Yicai.

By working with their counterparts in the region, Chinese airlines can further expand their overseas networks, while facilitating transit through the Middle East, which offers a more convenient way for passengers to reach their final destinations when China-US flights are limited, he added.

China Eastern Airlines announced on March 4 that it would become the first Chinese carrier to launch a direct route between Shanghai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Starting from April 28, the flights will run four round-trips per week in cooperation with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways.

Chinese airlines have been restoring their international networks since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the Middle East being one of the most popular destinations.

The total number of flights from China to the UAE, Qatar, and Turkey last month exceeded the pre-pandemic level by 7 percent, 57 percent, and 59 percent, respectively, according to data from Flight Master. Flights to Saudi Arabia had a recovery rate of 259 percent.

Air China and China Southern Airlines are operating twice as many flights to the Middle East as before the pandemic, while China Eastern’s are about triple. Meanwhile, Hainan Airlines and Sichuan Airlines have also nearly doubled their recovery rates on Middle Eastern routes.

Nearly two billion people live within a four-hour flight of the Middle East, and four billion reside within a seven-hour flight of the Persian Gulf. This has led the region’s airlines to focus on developing transit hubs.

Editor: Futura Costaglione