China Eastern Airlines launched its inaugural Beijing Daxing–Muscat flight on 1 December, greeted by a water-cannon salute at Muscat International Airport. The Airbus A330-300 service will operate every Sunday and Wednesday, offering 299 seats per flight and marking the first direct link between the Chinese capital and the Sultanate of Oman.
The route is the product of coordination between China Eastern, Oman Airports and Oman’s Ministry of Heritage & Tourism. Officials hailed the flight as a ‘bridge of friendship’ that connects two ancient civilisations and deepens cooperation under the Belt & Road Initiative. Oman Airports’ CEO said the connection will support inbound tourism targets and reinforce Muscat’s ambition to become an aviation and logistics hub between Asia, Africa and Europe.
![China Eastern Opens Twice-Weekly Beijing–Muscat Service, Strengthening Air Silk Road]()
For Chinese companies, the service shortens travel time for energy-sector personnel heading to Oman’s oilfields and simplifies access for construction, mining and telecom contractors. Likewise, Omani exporters of LNG, dates and tourism services gain a non-stop conduit to Beijing’s vast market. Travel agents expect immediate interest from adventure-tour and cultural-heritage segments, with desert-camp packages already trending on Chinese OTAs.
The twice-weekly frequency may scale up if load factors exceed 75 percent, according to airline insiders. Mobility teams should evaluate Muscat as an alternative Middle-East hub: its new terminal offers quick onward links to East Africa and the Gulf, potentially shaving hours off multi-sector itineraries.
China Eastern’s move also signals renewed competition with Qatar Airways and Emirates for China–Gulf traffic, underscoring how Chinese carriers are expanding global reach as aircraft deliveries accelerate.
The route is the product of coordination between China Eastern, Oman Airports and Oman’s Ministry of Heritage & Tourism. Officials hailed the flight as a ‘bridge of friendship’ that connects two ancient civilisations and deepens cooperation under the Belt & Road Initiative. Oman Airports’ CEO said the connection will support inbound tourism targets and reinforce Muscat’s ambition to become an aviation and logistics hub between Asia, Africa and Europe.
For Chinese companies, the service shortens travel time for energy-sector personnel heading to Oman’s oilfields and simplifies access for construction, mining and telecom contractors. Likewise, Omani exporters of LNG, dates and tourism services gain a non-stop conduit to Beijing’s vast market. Travel agents expect immediate interest from adventure-tour and cultural-heritage segments, with desert-camp packages already trending on Chinese OTAs.
The twice-weekly frequency may scale up if load factors exceed 75 percent, according to airline insiders. Mobility teams should evaluate Muscat as an alternative Middle-East hub: its new terminal offers quick onward links to East Africa and the Gulf, potentially shaving hours off multi-sector itineraries.
China Eastern’s move also signals renewed competition with Qatar Airways and Emirates for China–Gulf traffic, underscoring how Chinese carriers are expanding global reach as aircraft deliveries accelerate.
