Dublin Airport has welcomed the commencement by China Eastern Airlines of a new non-stop service from Shanghai to Dublin, providing Ireland with its first direct connection to China’s largest city and one of Asia’s leading economic and cultural centres. The new three-times-weekly service commenced with an early Monday morning arrival, using China Eastern’s state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The inbound flight, MU231, having departed Shanghai at 03.00 (around an hour later than scheduled), landed at Dublin Airport shortly after 07.30, following its 11h35m flight. The inaugural outbound flight (MU232) to Shanghai departed on schedule around 11.30.
The new route represents a significant milestone for Dublin Airport, becoming its longest-ever scheduled non-stop service and further strengthening Ireland’s connectivity with one of the world’s most important aviation markets. The service is expected to boost tourism, trade, inward investment, education and cultural links between Ireland and China, while also providing convenient onward connections across China and the Asia-Pacific region through China Eastern’s hub at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. China Eastern is one of China’s leading international airlines and a member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance. Headquartered in Shanghai, the airline operates an extensive global network spanning Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America, South America and the Middle East, connecting millions of passengers each year.
Commenting as the first service arrived in Dublin, the Deputy CEO of daa, Nick Cole, said, “We’re delighted to welcome China Eastern to Dublin Airport and to celebrate the launch of this exciting new direct service to Shanghai. This route is a significant addition to Dublin Airport’s long-haul network and reinforces our commitment to improving connectivity between Ireland and key global markets. China is an increasingly important market for tourism, business, education and trade, and this new service will create new opportunities for travellers in both directions while making it easier than ever for visitors from China to experience everything Ireland has to offer.”
Also commenting was the Chairman of China Eastern Airlines, Wang Zhiqing, who added, “The A350 aircraft of China Eastern Airlines travelled a great distance and finally landed at the beautiful Dublin Airport. It marks the successful inaugural flight of Shanghai–Dublin. It also signifies a new, convenient, and efficient air corridor between China and Ireland. Aviation connects cities, carries friendship, and promotes cooperation. China Eastern Airlines is ready to take this new route as a bond to work more closely with Irish partners from all fields. We hope that this route across Eurasia will serve as an important bridge, connecting people of the two countries.”
