After three years of pandemic closure, Chinese airlines launch new air routes in 2023

China opens its borders after 3 years of isolation 0:41

(CNN) --

The day has come: China reopened its borders to some travelers for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.

Although the first big wave of travelers to the country will likely be Chinese citizens living elsewhere and wanting to reunite with family and friends, leisure tourism appears to be about to pick up again.

The country has lifted quarantine among other requirements for incoming travelers, paving the way for the tourism industry to resume.

At the same time, China's major airlines began to increase their flight offerings.

To a large extent, that means flight paths that have been eliminated or reduced during the pandemic will be restored.

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However, there will also be new routes that will make it easier than ever for travelers from Budapest, Istanbul, Johannesburg and other major cities to visit China, and vice versa.

These are some of the destinations that will be easier to travel to from China.

Trips from Shanghai to Athens

Before the pandemic, China and Greece had planned to increase their air ties.

Now, however, one of the most important connections has been re-established: the first direct flight from Shanghai Pudong airport to Athens arrived in the last week of December.

In the future, Air China will operate the 10.5-hour flight once a week.

From Guangzhou to Istanbul

China's third-largest city will have a direct link to Istanbul this year thanks to a new China Southern Airlines flight.

The Guangzhou-based airline made the inaugural route to Istanbul Airport on January 10.

The flight from Guangzhou to Istanbul takes about 11 hours, while the return journey takes about 9.5 hours.

This is great news for Chinese travelers looking for another gateway to Europe, as Istanbul is the home base for Turkish Airlines.

A new direct flight connects Beijing with Johannesburg, South Africa's most populous city, seen in this photo.

(Credit: Sopotnick/Adobe Stock

Beijing to Johannesburg

China has been trying to strengthen its relations with Africa for years, and one way to do that is to make things easier for travelers who want to travel between the two continents.

Air China's next direct flight will be from the capital Beijing International Airport and the Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Air China announced the new route along with a number of other major routes, but there is no confirmed start date yet.

From Chongqing to Ho Chi Minh City

The first direct flight between China and Hungary took off in 2015. (Credit: orpheus26/Adobe Stock)

The southwest Chinese metropolis of Chonqing will have several exciting new air routes this season.

The first is a direct Air China flight to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

That means some of Chongqing's more than 30 million residents will have an easier time visiting the Reunification Palace, the Central Post Office, the War Remnants Museum and other famous landmarks in Vietnam's largest city.

From Chongqing to Budapest

The other new Air China flight will take off from Chongqing to Budapest at Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Hungary once a week.

There are already several other air connections between the two countries: a direct one from Beijing to Budapest that started in 2015, and one from Shanghai that started in 2019.

From Xi'an to Almaty

Residents of the home of the famous Terracotta Warriors will be able to travel more easily to another city with a rich history: Almaty, in Kazakhstan.

Almaty was one of the settlements along the Silk Road and has been inhabited since at least 1,000 BC, giving Kazakhstan's capital an enormous historical legacy.

China Southern Airlines' first direct flight from Xi'an to Almaty International Airport (ALA) took off on January 6.

There is a good chance that this flight is a sign of many more to come.

China and Kazakhstan have strong diplomatic relations, as evidenced by President Xi Jinping's visit to the country on his first trip outside of China last year, during the Covid-19 era.

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is accessible to Chinese travelers thanks to a new China Southern flight.

(Credit: kicimici/Adobe Stock)

Nanning to Phnom Penh

China Southern Airlines is forging closer ties with neighboring Cambodia, thanks to two weekly flights between Phnom Penh and the southern Chinese city of Nanning.

Although Nanning is close to China's border with Vietnam, there are currently no airlines offering direct flights from Nanning to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, so this growing link with Cambodia will also open up access to South East Asian destinations. .

This flight began operating on December 22.

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