Xi’an Xianyang International Airport announced on 30 January that it will launch a nonstop passenger route to Vienna on 20 April, operated by China Eastern Airlines with Airbus A330 aircraft. Flights MU5063/64 will run every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Tickets for the inaugural flight opened for sale this morning, with promotional round-trip economy fares starting at RMB 3,880 (≈ USD 540).(en.people.cn)
The connection plugs north-west China directly into the heart of Central Europe for the first time, bypassing hubs in Beijing and Shanghai. For multinationals with manufacturing bases in Shaanxi Province—particularly in electronics, automotive components and renewable-energy equipment—the route offers a six-hour reduction in door-to-door travel time to Austria and neighbouring markets such as Slovakia, Czechia and Hungary.
![Xi’an to Vienna: New Three-Weekly China Eastern Service From 20 April]()
Travellers unfamiliar with Schengen paperwork can turn to VisaHQ, whose China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides step-by-step guidance, document checklists and appointment-booking services for Austrian and broader Schengen visas—helping both leisure and corporate passengers minimise administrative lead-times before boarding the new Xi’an-Vienna flight.
Cargo forwarders expect the belly-hold capacity (about 20 tonnes per flight) to benefit high-value exports like EV batteries and aero-engine parts produced in the Xi’an Economic & Technological Development Zone. Austrian tourism boards, meanwhile, forecast an additional 30,000 Chinese leisure arrivals in 2026, citing pent-up demand for music, ski and culture travel.
Travel managers should note that Viennese Schengen entry requirements remain unchanged; Chinese nationals still need a C-type Schengen visa, and the Xi’an-Vienna schedule is timed to connect onto Lufthansa Group’s European network. Employers sending staff should build in extra lead time for Schengen visa appointments as spring demand rises.
The connection plugs north-west China directly into the heart of Central Europe for the first time, bypassing hubs in Beijing and Shanghai. For multinationals with manufacturing bases in Shaanxi Province—particularly in electronics, automotive components and renewable-energy equipment—the route offers a six-hour reduction in door-to-door travel time to Austria and neighbouring markets such as Slovakia, Czechia and Hungary.
Travellers unfamiliar with Schengen paperwork can turn to VisaHQ, whose China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides step-by-step guidance, document checklists and appointment-booking services for Austrian and broader Schengen visas—helping both leisure and corporate passengers minimise administrative lead-times before boarding the new Xi’an-Vienna flight.
Cargo forwarders expect the belly-hold capacity (about 20 tonnes per flight) to benefit high-value exports like EV batteries and aero-engine parts produced in the Xi’an Economic & Technological Development Zone. Austrian tourism boards, meanwhile, forecast an additional 30,000 Chinese leisure arrivals in 2026, citing pent-up demand for music, ski and culture travel.
Travel managers should note that Viennese Schengen entry requirements remain unchanged; Chinese nationals still need a C-type Schengen visa, and the Xi’an-Vienna schedule is timed to connect onto Lufthansa Group’s European network. Employers sending staff should build in extra lead time for Schengen visa appointments as spring demand rises.
