In the early hours of June 30,Sichuan Airlines flight 3U3827 departed from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, marking the official launch of Chengdu Tianfu – Istanbul – Athens route. Chengdu has become the third city in the Chinese mainland, following Beijing and Shanghai, and the only city in central and western China to establish an air connection with Athens.

 

The launch ceremony of Chengdu-Athens route is held at Athens International Airport

 

Operated by Airbus A330, a wide-body passenger aircraft, Chengdu Tianfu – Istanbul – Athens route operates four weekly round-trip flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

 

Passengers wait to board

 

The inaugural flight had a seat occupancy rate of nearly 90%, primarily catering to tourism and sightseeing, business meetings, family/friends visit, and other needs. As a fifth freedom air route extending from Istanbul to Athens, the route connects three major cities across three countries with a single ticket, providing passengers with more travel options.

 

 

On June 26, prior to the launch of Chengdu-Athens route, Pavlos Mourmas, Head of Greek National Tourism Organization China Office, visited Chengdu, where he highlighted Greece’s scenic attractions to attending travel agency representatives at Sichuan Airlines Summer Flight Season New International Route Promotion Conference. “The launch of the new route between Chengdu and Athens will forge closer ties between the two cities. In Greece, many people are attracted to China, admire Chinese culture, and are fond of Sichuan’s giant pandas, natural landscapes, and exquisite cuisine.” In an interview, Pavlos Mourmas stated that the route will boost tourism exchanges between Chengdu and Athens, attract more tourists to both China and Greece, and further facilitate economic and trade cooperation as well as cultural exchanges between China and Europe.

 

On June 30, the launch ceremony of Chengdu-Athens route was held at Athens International Airport. Fang Qiu, Chinese Ambassador to Greece, attended the event. Fang Qiu noted that the new route, signifying a new milestone in central and western China’s efforts to promote connectivity with Greece and Europe, holds significant implications for further enhancing bilateral people-to-people exchanges and pragmatic cooperation.

 

In recent years, Chengdu and Greece have been deepening their friendly cooperative relations: in 2017, Chengdu established friendly cooperative relations with Patras, Greece; in 2019, Chengdu established friendly cooperative relations with Athens, the capital of Greece; in November 2019, the approval granted to Greece to establish a consulate in Chengdu elevated the relations between Chengdu and Greece to a new level.

 

Chengdu and Greece maintain close people-to-people exchanges and frequent high-level visits. This year, Eleni Mantzavinou, Member of the Municipal Council of Athens, attended 2025 Chengdu International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Forum upon invitation, where she expressed interest in expanding cooperation in sports and competitions, youth exchanges, and other sectors. Additionally, Alexandros Modiano, Chairman of the Board of West-East Urban Governance Institute and former Deputy Mayor of Athens, who visited Chengdu multiple times, proactively fostered friendly cooperation between the two cities. He suggested joint efforts in sharing experience in multiple sectors, such as green and sustainable development, exchanges among universities and primary/secondary schools, and the promotion of traditional medicine culture.

 

In 2024, the total trade value of imports and exports between Chengdu and Greece amounted to RMB 365 million. An official from Sichuan Airlines stated that the new air route to Athens will engage in international logistics via belly-held cargo services. The official indicated that Sichuan Airlines has engaged with local cross-border e-commerce enterprises to facilitate the export of “Made in Chengdu” electronic products to Greece and the import of “Made in Greece” specialty food to Chengdu in the future.

 

Edited by Zhang Yuanlin

Source:Chengdu Discovery