Hainan Airlines will fly three times a week from Oslo to Beijing and is expected to carry seafood for around 20 million euros annually.
In October SalmonBusiness reported that there would be a direct route from Norway to China – for the first time ever.
The route opening was celebrated on Wednesday, as the first flight landed at Oslo Airport from Beijing. The route is operated from now on three times a week.
“This is a route I’ve been waiting for for many, many years. The route will be good for Norway, for Avinor (wholly-owned state limited company under the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications) and China, and it will be important for the business sector,” said CEO of Avinor, Dag Falk Petersen, when he entered the podium, writes E24.
Hainan Airlines, the largest privately owned airline in China, has a fleet of over 400 aircrafts.
“There has been a sharp increase in the number of Chinese tourists who visit Norway and their beautiful nature. We have also seen increased demand from the business sector and goods transport,” said the chairman of the HNA Aviation Group, Bao Qifa.
According to Avinor, it is expected that the route will transport seafood for around 20 million euros annually. The first departure included 13 tons of salmon.
“This route offers even better opportunities for increased exports of fresh Norwegian seafood to the Chinese market, where the demand for good quality seafood is high and increasing. As the seafood consumption in China is greater than the entire annual production in Norway, the potential is enormous,” said the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries, Harald Tom Nesvik in a statement.
