People celebrate the opening of the Ningbo-Budapest flight on May 29. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

A Boeing 787-9 jet carrying 59 passengers departed Ningbo Lishe International Airport for Budapest, capital of Hungary, on May 29. The departure marked the opening of the first intercontinental passenger route Ningbo has launched this year.

The maiden flight, operated by China Eastern Airlines, took off from Ningbo Lishe International Airport at 4:10 pm and arrived at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport after 11 hours.

The returning trip is scheduled to leave Budapest at 11:55 pm and reach Ningbo at 4:20 pm the following day. A chartered flight with the same schedule will begin operating on June 5, before the service becomes a regular schedule.

The flight is scheduled to depart Ningbo for Budapest on Mondays starting June 12, with the possibility of increasing the frequency to twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, based on demand, according to the carrier.

Budapest is the largest city in Hungary, and is commonly referred to as the "Paris of Eastern Europe" and "Pearl of the Danube". The new flight reflects Ningbo's efforts to strengthen ties with Central and Eastern European countries.

Ningbo airport has already resumed flights to countries and regions such as Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macao. Additionally, it is expected to launch new flight routes to cities like Tokyo, Japan, and Nha Trang, Vietnam, in the near future.