Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) launched direct flights from Shanghai to Tel Aviv, Israel on Sep 12.

The maiden flight, Flight HU407, carried 242 passengers to the Jewish capital.

Tel Aviv is Shanghai's fifth waypoint in the Middle East. The flight takes off on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday on regularly basis.

Israel is an important country along the Belt and Road. China and Israel have developed good relationships since they established diplomatic relations in 1950, and China is Israel’s biggest trading partner in Asia. The people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two sides are increasing as a more flexible visa policy came into effect on Nov 11, 2016.

Shanghai and Israel also have special relations, as many Israelis took sanctuary in Shanghai during the Second World War. Tel Aviv is an economic and commercial center in Israel. The new flight route is expected to promote tourism and trade exchanges between the two countries.

PVG is making efforts to become a world-class aviation center by improving its airline network and exploring more international remote flights. In 2017, PVG has opened flights to Montreal, France and Barcelona, Spain and added more flights to Mexico city, Mexico and Saint Petersburg, US.