A new direct flight route connecting Beijing and Oslo was launched on Saturday, with three weekly round-trip flights operated by Hainan Airlines.
The new air route, linking the capitals of China and Norway, operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, providing more convenient access for visitors and fostering greater exchanges across various fields between the two countries.
"The Oslo route makes its maiden flight this Saturday, with three round-trip flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The flight time is around ten hours. This is currently the only direct flight linking Beijing and Oslo in China," Zhang Naifu, deputy director of Marketing at Hainan Airlines, said during the launch event.
Henning Kristoffersen, commercial counsellor at the Norwegian Embassy in China, highlighted the significance of the new route.
"I think it has great significance. This shortens the distance between our two countries, and I think it will increase very much the traveling both from Norway to China, and of course, Chinese travelers to Norway. So, the exchanges in different areas will only increase, I think," said Kristoffersen.
Oslo, Norway's largest city and capital, is a key political, economic, and cultural hub, housing the country's biggest port, as well as the Norwegian royal family and government. It is also the first Nordic nation to be granted visa-free access to China.
"I think everything is going in the right direction. Visa-free means a lot because the whole process of traveling becomes so much easier. You can [go] quicker through the whole process, but also, in combination with this direct flight, I think that's a massive improvement," said Kristoffersen.
Since last November, China has expanded its visa-free policies, making it easier for visitors from multiple countries to enter the country. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, more than 20 million international visitors have entered China under these policies since last year, a 110 percent increase from the previous year.
The launch of this new direct route is part of a broader trend, as more domestic carriers, including China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines also set to launch new international services.
New Beijing-Oslo direct flight route launched
China Meteorological Administration (CMA) held a series of science popularization activities in Beijing on Sunday to mark the World Meteorological Day, which fell on March 23 this year.
The CMA campus opened its doors to the public, showcasing cutting-edge scientific and technological equipment and interactive projects to disseminate meteorological science knowledge.
"The CMA campus along with some meteorological observatories and science popularization venues in Beijing are open to the public. Specifically, the CMA campus opened indoor exhibition areas, including the China Meteorological Science and Technology Exhibition Hall, the science popularization exhibition area of the National Satellite Meteorological Center, the science popularization exhibition hall of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, as well as outdoor exhibition areas like the meteorological observation field, the meteorological science popularization area, and the meteorological equipment exhibition. Visitors had the opportunity to gain an insight into the latest advancements in 'meteorology +' technologies applied in fields such as aviation, navigation, and finance, while learning about the latest development process of meteorological satellites, intelligent meteorological observation equipment, and artificial weather modification operation systems," said Zhang Jie, deputy director of the CMA office.
At the event, many visitors had conversations with a smart weather prediction robot, called "Fenghe".
The large-scale meteorological service language model of "Fenghe", featuring 230 billion parameters, was collaboratively developed by the CMA Public Meteorological Service Center and Tsinghua University.
By incorporating professional and authoritative meteorological data, this system can engage with users through a conversational dialogue interface to address inquiries related to meteorological science education, weather forecast, travel planning, and early warning information.
"The 'Fenghe' model possesses five capabilities of providing meteorological knowledge, recognizing user intentions, interpreting and analyzing data, making decisions and inferences, and delivering meteorological service tools," explained Zhu Xiaoxiang, director of the CMA Public Meteorological Service Center.
China Meteorological Administration hold activities to mark World Meteorological Day
