China Eastern Airlines inaugurated three-times-weekly non-stop flights between Shanghai Pudong (PVG) and Tbilisi (TBS) on 21 July, opening the first direct air corridor between China’s commercial capital and the South Caucasus. The 10-hour service is operated with 282-seat Airbus A330-300 aircraft and is timed for onward evening connections to Xi’an and Kunming on the Chinese side and to Istanbul and Tel Aviv from Georgia. For multinational firms, the route slashes up to eight hours off typical one-stop itineraries via Istanbul or Doha, simplifying crew rotations for energy projects in Georgia and Azerbaijan and easing R&D exchanges for Shanghai’s wine-and-spirits importers sourcing in the Black Sea region. Tbilisi Airport’s operator TAV Georgia forecasts an additional 30,000 Chinese arrivals in the first 12 months, while Shanghai’s tourism bureau plans marketing tie-ins positioning the city as a Eurasian transit gateway. Georgia’s immigration police confirmed that 144-hour visa-free transit for China Eastern passengers will be honoured at the new service. The launch continues a summer spree of new Chinese long-haul routes as carriers deploy the capacity unlocked by C919 deliveries and rebounding outbound demand. Corporate travel buyers may find introductory fares as low as CNY 3,800 round-trip in economy through September.
