Shanghai relaunches short-haul flight to Hangzhou for intl transfers

​The "Shanghai Museum" aircraft, decorated with classical Chinese artwork, takes to the skies. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

China Eastern Airlines will resume a short-haul flight between Shanghai and Hangzhou starting from Nov 15, with a one-way ticket priced as low as 290 yuan ($40.85), including fuel surcharges. The route aims to facilitate international transfers at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

The route, which previously operated for just over a month earlier in 2024, will feature a daily round-trip flight.

The flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport is scheduled to depart at 10:20 pm and arrive at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at 11:10 pm. The return flight is scheduled to depart from Xiaoshan at 8:00 am and arrive at Pudong at 8:50 am.

While a high-speed train between the two cities takes approximately 40 minutes, with a second-class seat costing around 70 yuan, the flight duration is 50 minutes. The relaunch of the route reflects a broader strategic goal rather than purely economic considerations.

An aviation expert noted that offering direct transfer options at Pudong Airport can attract many international flight passengers for China Eastern.

The timing of the flights is specifically designed to cater to international travelers.

The early morning arrival in Shanghai allows passengers ample time for transfers to international destinations such as Amsterdam, Rome, Moscow, Madrid, Paris, Los Angeles, and Dubai, with layovers of two to three hours.

The late-night flight from Shanghai to Hangzhou aims to seamlessly transport passengers arriving in Shanghai to Hangzhou.

An insider in the civil aviation sector revealed that, viewed from a narrow economic perspective, the short-haul flight is certainly unprofitable, considering that an aircraft's hourly operating cost is tens of thousands of yuan, based on the currently published prices.

However, with the rapid recovery of international routes, aviation insiders generally believe that the Shanghai-Hangzhou route can generate revenue for China Eastern's international flights by channeling passengers.

These so-called "ferry flights" within the Yangtze River Delta region are primarily designed to facilitate international passenger transfers, and their operation is often adjusted according to changes in international flights.

Airlines often sell tickets for the Shanghai leg of flights needed to reposition wide-body aircraft for intercontinental routes.

Currently, China Eastern operates long-haul international flights from cities such as Hangzhou and Nanjing, leading to the emergence of short-haul routes that cater to transfer demands.

The airline operates seven connecting routes with 76 round-trip flights per week, linking the Yangtze River Delta and surrounding areas to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, including routes from Nanjing Lukou to Shanghai Pudong, Yiwu to Shanghai Pudong, with over 60 percent of passengers being transfer passengers, as well as routes from Nanchang, Hefei, Lishui, Ningbo, and Wenzhou to Pudong.

Passengers who choose China Eastern's connecting flights for international transfers via Pudong Airport can enjoy services such as "through ticketing, direct baggage check-in, and seamless transfers".