Aeroflot to expand China-Russia flights

"We also plan to add more frequencies of our current flights," said Aeroflot deputy CEO Igor Chalik in Beijing.

"We have seen a significant increase in the number of businesspeople traveling between China and Russia, driven by a large number of cooperation projects that the two countries have," he said.

China since 2016 has been the largest source of tourists to Russia, with Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan and Krasnodar the most popular cities, said Aeroflot.

Meanwhile 60 percent of Chinese passengers who flew to Moscow choose to transfer from Moscow airport to other Russian and European cities.

The airline plans to further strengthen its transfer operations between Europe and Asia, Aeroflot said.

Chalik said the Belt and Road Initiative has created opportunities for the aviation industry, including the launch of new flights and construction of infrastructure, adding that Aeroflot welcomes and appreciates the initiative.