12:50 - 9.07.2026

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July 9, Fineko/abc.az. A new direct air route between Azerbaijan and China operated by China Eastern Airlines will be launched next year.

Azerbaijan Tourism Board’s CEO Florian Sengstschmid stated about this during a panel discussion held as part of the presentation of WB report «Azerbaijan Country Economic Memorandum – Spring 2026".

Sengstschmid says that Azerbaijan continues its efforts to expand access to new tourism markets. For this purpose, a representative office was opened in Beijing two months ago. Starting from May 2027, a new direct air connection with China will be launched through China Eastern Airlines. Negotiations are also currently underway with other Chinese airlines.

Sengstschmid stated that until 2018, India was virtually absent from the list of countries sending tourists to Azerbaijan. However, last year, the number of tourists arriving in Azerbaijan from India reached 256,000–260,000.

He noted that geopolitical tensions remain one of the main risk factors for the tourism sector, as political instability directly affects people's movement between countries.

The CEO stressed he believes Azerbaijan's tourism sector will develop more rapidly in the coming years through the priority measures outlined in the World Bank's report and with the support of international partners.