China Eastern Airlines will launch direct flights from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to eastern Chinese metropolis of Shanghai from Sept. 17, the carrier said last Tuesday in an emailed press release.

上周二，中国东方航空公司在一份电子邮件新闻稿中表示，该公司将于9月17日开通从阿联酋迪拜到中国东部城市上海的直飞航班。

Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines will be the first Chinese carrier to operate direct flights between Dubai and Shanghai.

总部位于上海的东方航空将成为首家开通迪拜至上海直航的中国航空公司。

The first direct flight will be launched on Sept. 17, operated by an Airbus 330.

第一架直飞航班将于9月17日启动，由空客330运营。

From Sept. 17 to Oct. 26, there will be three direct flights per week, while the number of weekly flights will increase to four from Oct. 27.

从9月17日到10月26日，每周将有三次直航，而从10月27日起，每周的航班数量将增加到四次。

The company's current flights from Dubai to Shanghai via southwestern Chinese city of Kunming will remain unchanged, said the carrier.

东方航空表示，该公司目前从迪拜经中国西南部城市昆明飞往上海的航班将保持不变。

"Shanghai and Dubai are both economic trade and financial centers in their countries. The personnel exchange between the two cities is the most intensive among other cities in China and the UAE," said Li Lingbing, China's Consul General to Dubai.

中华人民共和国驻迪拜总领事李凌冰表示：“上海和迪拜都是各自国家的经济贸易和金融中心。在中国和阿联酋的其他城市中，这两个城市之间的人员交流是最密集的。”

As one of the major air carriers in China, China Eastern Airlines operates a fleet of more than 650 passengers and cargo aircrafts. The company's network covers 80 percent of Chinese cities, reaching 177 countries and 1,074 destinations worldwide.

作为中国主要航空公司之一，东方航空拥有650多架客货飞机。该公司的网络覆盖了中国80%的城市，遍及177个国家和全球1074个目的地。