On November 6, Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, met with Wang Zhiqing, Chairman of China Eastern Airlines, in Shanghai to discuss the airline's potential launch of flights to Azerbaijan. The meeting included officials from Heydar Aliyev International Airport and the Azerbaijan Tourism Board.
Naghiyev highlighted China as a priority tourism market and outlined promotional efforts, including an Azerbaijan Tourism Board office in Beijing and partnerships with Chinese travel platforms. He expressed readiness to support China Eastern through state subsidies, airport incentives, and joint marketing.
Wang Zhiqing noted that the strategic partnership and mutual visa-free travel arrangement create opportunities for aviation market expansion. He expressed interest in a direct Shanghai-Baku route to boost cultural tourism and passenger traffic.
Currently, AZAL operates three weekly Baku-Beijing flights, and China Southern Airlines runs five weekly Baku-Urumqi flights. In 2025, Chinese visitors to Azerbaijan reached 63,500, a 41.7% increase from 2024, with 61,001 arrivals from January to October 2026.
For travelers, potential new direct flights from Shanghai to Baku could offer more convenient access to Azerbaijan, supported by the existing visa-free regime for Chinese citizens.
