Three new direct routes connecting Shanghai and European destinations, namely Geneva, Milan, and Copenhagen, will be launched in coming months by China Eastern Airlines, which will expand the airline's European network to 15 cities, announced the Shanghai-based carrier on May 8.

The Shanghai-Geneva flight will launch on June 16 and operate every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It will depart Shanghai at 1:30 am and arrive in Geneva at 7:50 am local time. The return flight will leave Geneva at 12:00 pm and arrive in Shanghai at 5:30 am the following day local time.

Situated in southwest of Switzerland, Geneva is an important center of diplomatic and international affairs in Europe. Known as the peace capital of the world, Geneva is home to the many international organizations' headquarters and also a popular global tourism destination famous for its Lake Geneva, the Alps, among other rich cultural heritage.

The direct flight between Shanghai and Geneva will offer more convenience to enterprises and organizations seeking travel options in China and Europe, according to China Eastern.

The Shanghai-Milan flight, scheduled to kick off on June 20, will run on a daily basis between the Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Milan Malpensa Airport.

Milan, situated in northern Italy, is a world famous city for its history, culture, fashion and art. The Shanghai-Milan flight is expected to join force with the existing Shanghai-Venice and Xi'an-Milan routes to effectively facilitate the exchanges of cultural, business and trade resources between China and Italy.

The Shanghai-Copenhagen flight is scheduled to operate every Monday, Thursday and Saturday from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport from July 17, and backward from Copenhagen late on the same date (local time).

Being the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen is the hometown of fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen and the location of the Little Mermaid statue. The city is known as the fairy-tale capital of the world, as well as the pearl of northern Europe. The launch of the direct flight between Shanghai and Copenhagen is hoped to create a more convenient channel for business, trade, culture and people-to-people exchanges between China and Denmark.

Tickets for the three new flights are currently available for purchase at the official website of China Eastern as well as via the app of the airliner.