New Zealand has become one of the favorite destinations for Chinese tourists.[Photo/IC]

WELLINGTON - China Eastern Airlines is to start a daily direct service between Auckland and Shanghai over the southern summer, the airline and Auckland Airport said Tuesday.

Starting on Dec 9, the service will initially operate four flights per week, rising to seven flights a week from January to March 28 next year, subject to regulatory approval.

The service would add an extra 47,000 seats on the route, contributing an estimated NZ$54 million ($42.05 million) to the New Zealand economy over the peak New Zealand period, Charles Spillane, Auckland Airport acting general manager aeronautical commercial, said in a statement.

"When we look at the year ending June 2014, we saw almost 36, 000 visitors arriving from Shanghai, an increase of 20 percent when compared to the same period the year before," said Spillane.

The service would compete with Air New Zealand, which offers the only other direct service on the Auckland-Shanghai route.

Kathy Zhang, China Eastern Airlines general manager Oceania, said the carrier had seen great demand when it operated two charter flights on the Shanghai-Auckland route during the 2014 Chinese New Year.

"That success has played a crucial role in our decision to offer this new seasonal operation. New Zealand is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese travelers and we are confident we will experience strong demand for our new service," Zhang said.

China is New Zealand's second largest tourist market after Australia.

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