A ceremony took place Thursday to open the direct flight operated by the flag-carrier Mongolian Airlines (MIAT) company between Ulaanbaatar and Frankfurt city of Germany.
Present at the ceremony were Mr Samu Dusdieker, an attache of Germany's Embassy in Mongolia on economic affairs, and other officials. Having underlined an importance of opening of the direct flight, Mr Dusdieker hoped it will increase a flow of European tourists to Mongolia and make easier for Mongolians to go to the USA, "in other words, it will be a new gate between Asia and Europe".
He also said that thanks to direct flights, economic ties between Mongolia and Germany will be extended.
The Mongolians used to reach the Frankfurt city via Moscow, Berlin, Seoul or Beijing. By the approved schedule of the MIAT, the flight from Ulaanbaatar to Frankfurt will be performed every Thursday and Sunday, whereas the flight from Frankfurt to Ulaanbaatar--every Wednesday and Saturday on Boeing-767. The flight takes 8 hours and 30 minutes, said executive director of the MIAT G.Jargalsaikhan.
The MIAT intends to start direct flights to the USA and other countries in 2 or 3 years, and the flight to Frankfurt is a beginning of this plan, he said. For the time being, the MIAT is flying to Beijing, Erlian, Sanya, Hong Kong (China), Tokyo, Osaka (Japan), Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok, Hanoi and Dubai (charter flights), also to Moscow, Berlin and Frankfurt.