On April 25, the Northern Branch of China Southern Airlines officially launched an air route between Shenyang and Frankfurt. The newly opened intercontinental route is the first regular direct route to Germany in Northeast China launched by a domestic airline.

The opening of the Shenyang-Frankfurt route will play a positive role in promoting the development of economic and trade cooperation between Liaoning Province and Germany, and even between the three provinces in Northeast China and Germany, to a higher level and higher quality. The route is also another important measure taken by China Southern Airlines to help Liaoning develop itself into a hub for Northeast Asian cooperation.

The Shenyang-Frankfurt route is operated every Thursday. The Shenyang-Frankfurt flight CZ8021 departs from Shenyang Taoxian International Airport at 01:30 am (BJT) and arrives at Frankfurt Airport at 06:10 am local time on Thursdays. The return flight CZ8022 takes off from Frankfurt at 14:15 pm local time on the same day and arrives at Shenyang at 06:15 am (BJT) the next day. According to the present sales status, the average passenger load factor of the first round-trip flight from Shenyang to Frankfurt has reached 90 percent.

Currently, Shenyang implements the 144-hour visa-free transit policy for foreign visitors from Germany, France, etc, which ensures ample time for transit passengers to Liaoning to engage in business negotiations, traveling, relative visiting, etc.