The cargo plane Hungary’s government purchased after the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic started commercial operation on Saturday, Peter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said.
Operated by Hungarian carrier Wizz Air, the Airbus A330-200F will shuttle between China and Hungary three times a week, Szijjártó said.
The government bought the plane at a time when delivering medical supplies was extremely difficult, he said. The plane was used to transport masks, protective gear and ventilators, as well as 6.8 million doses of vaccine this year alone, he said.
As pandemic-related demand ebbs, the plane will facilitate trade between Budapest and Chengdu, in eastern China, he said.
Featured photo illustration by Tamás Kovács/MTI