European airline companies planto increase the number of flights to China despite the slump in the global aviation industry, sources with the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) told Xinhua here Monday.

According to the sources, Lufthansa German Airlines will launch five non-stop weekly flights with Airbus A340-300 aircraft between Shanghai and Munich, starting on March 16th.

Meanwhile, Finnair will start three flights from Helsinki to Hong Kong on February 7 and Austrian Airlines will increase flights from Beijing to Vienna from March 15.

"The new flights from Shanghai to Munich provide another gateway to Europe for Chinese travelers. This strategic decision indicates China's increasing demand and our strong confidence in this market," said Stefan Lauer, Member of the Executive Board, Chief Executive Human Resources, Lufthansa German Airlines.

Germany is becoming popular as a destination for Chinese tourists. Lufthansa expects its new flights will provide Chinese passengers with more convenient connections to Germany as well as to other destinations within Europe.

The new flights will open new routes between China and Europe.With the introduction of the new service, Lufthansa will be the first European airline to provide 12 weekly nonstop flights from Shanghai to Germany via Frankfurt and Munich, and onwards to more than 100 major European destinations.

"China's membership of the World Trade Organization will certainly bring further business opportunities for both local companies and foreign investors. This will increase demand for both international air transport and cargo shipments," said Ren Jun, sales manager with Austrian Airlines.

Statistics from CAAC show that by the end of last year, 57 airline companies from 45 countries and regions had started flights to China.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2002)