Spanish airline Iberia inaugurates Madrid-Shanghai flight

Spanish national airline Iberia on Tuesday opened a new direct flight between the Spanish capital Madrid and Shanghai, east China.

The flights leave Madrid for Shanghai on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with the return from Shanghai to Madrid on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

"We have always had the vocation to be a global airline and with this route to Shanghai we are taking another step in this direction at the same time that we are bringing such an important economic power and tourist market as China closer to our country," said Iberia Executive President, Luis Gallego in a press communique.

The Madrid-Shanghai flights will be made by an A330-200, which has 16 seats in Business Class and 269 in tourist class.

Iberia has contracted Chinese cabin crew in order to help give a more complete service to Chinese passengers, while the films for passengers on board are subtitled in Chinese and children's programs dubbed in that language. Iberia is also planning to publish an onboard magazine in Chinese.

These new flights will continue to make it easier to travel between Spain and China for business travelers and tourists.

The first nine months of 2015 saw a 66 percent increase in Chinese visitors to Spain, while it will now also be easier for Spaniards to visit Shanghai given that previously there had been no direct flight to the city from the Spanish capital. Endit