Daily flight launched between New York City and Budapest

US air carrier American Airlines has begun a new non-stop daily service between New York City's JFK airport and the Hungarian capital Budapest. The first flight landed in Budapest Wednesday morning and returned to JFK before noon.

The flight is American's first Eastern European and Hungarian operation, with the country becoming the ninth destination in Europe American Airlines serves non-stop from the United States.

The new route connects American's New York JFK hub to oneworld partner Malev's Budapest hub and is one of the first launched since transatlantic anti-trust immunity was granted between five of the oneworld carriers. The service enables passengers to connect to more than 35 destinations beyond New York JFK and from more than 25 destinations beyond Budapest across Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

American Airlines flies the new route with its twin class 225 seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft, offering 30 lie flat business class and 195 economy seats.

Hungary's state-owned national carrier Malev has a seat-sharing agreement on the flight.

The number of flights will be reduced to four a week on the winter timetable but it will become a daily flight again from the spring of 2012.