Hainan Airlines Launches Beijing - Zurich

Posted 01/06/2011

Hainan Airlines yesterday (May 31) launched flights between Beijing and Zurich, the first service on the route for the past eight years.  The carrier's inaugural flight was welcomed with a large water fountain from the Zurich Airport Fire Service, while departing passengers and special guests at the launch event were entertained with a traditional Chinese lion dance.  Hainan Airlines is offering three flights per week on the route using an Airbus A330-200 configured with 34 lie-flat Business Class and 179 Economy seats.

The Swiss city is Hainan Airlines' sixth destination in Europe, adding to its existing flights from Beijing to Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Moscow and St Petersburg and from Shanghai to Brussels.  The flight departs Beijing at 01:50, arriving in Zurich at 07:05 every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.  They depart the Swiss city at 12:30 the same day, arriving back in the Chinese capital at 17:20.  These timings will enable passengers to make onward connections beyond both Beijing and Zurich, with Hainan offering over 500 flights per week across more than 100 destinations. 

Swiss International Air Lines already offers a daily connection to China from Zurich, but serving Shanghai, rather than Beijing.  Approximately 214,000 O&D passengers travelled between Switzerland and China in 2010, with around 57,000 using the direct Swiss International link.

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