Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Three major carriers— Sichuan Airlines , Starlux Airlines , and Royal Jordanian —are boosting intercontinental air connectivity in 2025 by launching new nonstop routes linking key cities across Asia, Europe, North America, and India. Chengdu to Madrid: Sichuan Airlines Targets Spain with First-Ever Direct Route Sichuan Airlines is set to enhance its European presence with the introduction of a nonstop route between Chengdu Tianfu International Airport and Madrid Adolfo Suárez-Barajas Airport , scheduled to commence on April 27, 2025 . Operating four times weekly with the Airbus A350-900 , this new link will be the first direct service between Chengdu and Madrid , offering a crucial new bridge between southwestern China and southern Europe.
This expansion builds on Sichuan Airlines’ current European destinations from Chengdu, which include Istanbul, Rome, Moscow , and St. Petersburg . With the addition of Madrid, Chengdu will now have nine nonstop long-haul routes , alongside services operated by Air China and Hainan Airlines to cities like Frankfurt, London, Milan, and Vienna.
Madrid is fast becoming a major European hub for Chinese air connectivity, now linked nonstop to seven Chinese cities . Passenger demand for the Chengdu-Madrid route surged in 2024, registering 5,300 two-way passengers , a 139% increase over 2023. This route reflects a broader trend: Chinese airlines are aggressively expanding their European footprint , taking advantage o.
