China Eastern Airlines confirmed the opening of a new direct line between Shanghai and Istanbul from September 28, 2023.
This is the first time that a Chinese airline has operated a route between China and Turkey, connecting two world-famous cities and two important aviation hubs. Flight numbers for the Shanghai-Istanbul route will be MU703/704, with three weekly flights, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Departing from Shanghai-Pudong International Airport, the outbound flight will depart at 1:30 a.m. local time each to arrive at Istanbul Airport at 8:30 a.m. local time. Return flights will depart Istanbul International Airport at 2:00 p.m. local time on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and land at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 05:30 a.m. local time the next day.
The Shanghai-Istanbul flight schedule is timed to benefit both direct and connecting passengers. For direct passengers, they enable convenient and efficient travel, and for connecting passengers, they provide more options and improve efficiency.
Passengers arriving in Istanbul at 8:30 a.m. can easily connect to later flights to destinations in Europe, Africa and other regions. Likewise, passengers arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport can take advantage of the extensive network of flights available to efficiently connect to Chinese domestic destinations, as well as flights to Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea, particularly those operated by China Eastern Airlines, the largest airline based at Shanghai-Pudong International Airport.
