SHANGHAI -- Scandinavian Airlines launched its first direct flight between Shanghai and Copenhagenon on March 2, opening up a major gateway to Europe for Chinese visitors.

Rickard Gustafson, president and CEO of the airline, said the reason for launching the five-flights-a-week service is to provide a direct-flight service for the 500,000 passengers traveling between Scandinavia and this part of China. Gustafson said he wants 100,000 passengers to become clients.

"This new service is a great step forward for Scandinavian Airlines. Transport links are important instruments toward further economic growth, and the service is an investment in the future," said Lars Olofsson, General Manager of Scandinavian Airlines Greater China.

Prince Henrik, the prince consort of Denmark, was on the maiden flight from Copenhagen to Shanghai and attended the opening ceremony for the direct flight, underlying the decades of tourism, trade and economic ties between China and Denmark. Scandinavian Airlines says it is the Nordic area's largest airline.

The carrier is expecting around 120,000 passengers a year on the route, of which 75 percent will come from Scandinavia and Northern Europe. The remaining 25 percent will come from Shanghai and East China.

Copenhagenis a natural gateway to the rest of Europe. The 10-hour non-stop flight will allow travelers in Shanghai and its neighboring areas to visit Denmarkand onward popular destinations in the Nordic area and Europe.

According to the official statistics released by the Danish Central Statistics Bureau,Denmarkhad 83,000 Chinese "bed nights" in 2011, an increase of 18 percent from a year earlier.