Hainan Airlines launches Hangzhou-Xi'an-Paris route

PARIS - On September 3, Hainan Airlines flight HU7907 took off from Hangzhou International Airport at 9:15 pm, making a stop at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, before heading on to Paris. This is the airline's fifth European route following its routes to Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Brussels and Berlin. The launch of the service will provide new opportunities for further political, economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and France, as 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries.

Hainan Airlines held inaugural flight ceremonies at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International and Xi'an Xianyang International airports on September 3, with representatives from local government agencies and airline partners as well as Hainan Airlines chairman and vice president in attendance. Passengers onboard the inaugural Airbus A330 flight received gifts from the Hainan Airlines staff before the plane took off for its maiden flight to Paris, the city of romance.

According to Hainan Airlines' head of marketing, the flight will be offered twice-weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. HU7907 departs Hangzhou at 8:50pm and arrives in Xi'an at 11:10pm, then departs Xi'an the next day at 1:00am and arrives at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport at 6:55am. The return flight, HU7908, departs Paris at 2:25pm and arrives the next day in Xi'an at 6:45am, then departs Xi'an at 8:45am and arrives in Hangzhou at 10:50am (arrival and departure times are local).

The route will be operated using an Airbus A330-200 wide-body aircraft. The plane's cheery and spacious cabin seats 36 in Business Class and 186 in Economy Class. The Business cabin is configured with 180-degree flat-bed seats with built-in gentle massage and 74 inches of space separating each seat. In addition, wide HD LCD screens and adjustable reading light serve to make sure passengers feel comfortable in a private environment.

Since 1993, Hainan Airlines has evolved from a regional to an international airline with several long haul intercontinental routes. The airline has launched routes to Chicago, Boston and Paris in recent years. According to the Sino-French Joint Press Communique, which emphasized building a peaceful, democratic, prosperous and progressive world, both China and France seek to strengthen mutual benefits and win-win results in civil aviation and the aviation industry. This provides Hainan Airlines with strong policy support and confidence to speed up the build-out of its international route network.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia