A passenger plane of Hainan Airlines receives a ceremonial water salute on its arrival at the Prague Airport in Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua)

PRAGUE -- Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight.

Noting at a ceremony held at the airport that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Feng Biao expressed the hope that the renewed flight service will promote exchanges and interactions between the peoples of the two countries, as well as revitalizing bilateral tourism cooperation.

Jiri Pos, chief executive officer of the Prague Airport, said, "We have trust in the potential of the market in both directions. Together with Hainan Airlines, we are building a bridge." The Czech tourism sector is "very much looking forward to getting a new wave of Chinese tourists coming to the Czech Republic," he added.

Wen Rui'an, a Chinese student who was preparing to board the return flight to Beijing in the afternoon, said she had long been looking forward to the resumption of direct flights. "The return flight is faster, taking just over nine hours to reach Beijing," she said.

"I also know some Czechs who are starting businesses or engaging in trade in China. The resumption of direct flights will bring convenience to their future travels as well," she added.

Hainan Airlines is now offering three flights a week between Beijing and Prague, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

According to an official from HNA Aviation Group, with the successful resumption of this route, Hainan Airlines now has 11 destinations in Europe, with routes spanning Western Europe, Southern Europe, and Central and Eastern Europe.