On December 1, the first direct flight from Chengdu to Vienna, the capital of Austria, took off. This is the only direct route connecting China's central and western regions to Vienna.

The route is operated by Hainan Airlines, with three flights per week scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The outbound flight departs from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport at 2:45 Beijing time and arrives at Vienna International Airport at 6:05 local time, with an estimated flight duration of 10 hours and 20 minutes. The return flight departs from Vienna International Airport at 12:30 local time and arrives at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport at 5:10 Beijing time the following day, with an estimated flight duration of 9 hours and 40 minutes.

Chengdu and Vienna established a friendly and cooperative relationship in 2016. Previously, traveling from Chengdu to Vienna required a transfer through cities such as Beijing and Doha, with a total travel time exceeding 15 hours. This direct flight not only provides a convenient travel option between the two cities but also positions Chengdu as a transit hub for passengers traveling from China to Austria and beyond in Europe. The route serves both passengers and cargo. Currently, the confirmed cargo for the first few flights is predominantly e-commerce goods.

The reporter learned from the Chengdu (Tianfu) - Vienna International Route Launch Conference held on November 30 that the route is set to offer special fare promotions for flights this year, with the lowest round-trip fare at 600 yuan (excluding taxes). For passengers originating from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Nanning, Tianjin, Fuzhou, and Jinan, who transfer through Tianfu Airport to Vienna, the single fare starts from 400 yuan, and the round-trip fare starts from 500 yuan, excluding taxes.

With the opening of this route, Chengdu now operates 51 regular international and regional direct passenger flights. This includes eight direct routes to Europe, collectively operating more than 30 flights per week.