Air China highlighted the strong economic relations between Switzerland and China in a statement, with particular regard to the headquarters of major banks such as UBS and Credit Suisse in the Zurich financial centre. On Wednesday, the countries celebrated the first flight on the new route between Beijing and Zurich. Air China is to fly to Zurich on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, returning on the following day.
The newspaper “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” outlined the benefits of the Zurich location for the airline. In the article, General Manager Chen Ge commented that Zurich has strategic importance for Air China. “The China Construction Bank is already established here, and the China Commercial Bank is on the starting block,” he said.
For Swiss passengers, the new connection will bring many Chinese cities much closer: Air China flies to more than 100 Chinese destinations from its Beijing hub.
Carmen Walker Späh, Zurich economics director and president of the Greater Zurich Area foundation, highlighted the long-term relations between Switzerland and China, and the free trade agreement signed in 2014. The new flight, she said in the article, is a logical next step.
She explained that Zurich is important for China as a Renminbi hub, and because 20 Chinese companies have already settled in Zurich. They would also benefit from the proximity to the Zurich universities, she added. “Zurich is becoming a leading location for digital innovation, which obviously generates attraction for companies,” she commented.
