Hainan Airlines is to launch a new year-round service from Dublin Andy Edinburgh to Beijing on 12 June.

On two days per week, the service will be direct non-stop flights between Dublin and Beijing. On the other two days, the flights will operate with a stopover in Edinburgh.

The new route comes just weeks after Routesonline reported that the Chinese carrier had applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to serve new destinations in the UK and Ireland. Later this month Hainan will launch its second non-stop service to the UK in March with flights from London Heathrow to Changsha Huanghua International Airport.

The service is the first to mainland China from Ireland and Scotland.

“This first ever direct route to mainland China and the first Irish destination in Hainan Airlines’ international network is a major achievement, which will prove transformational to the bilateral relationship between China and Ireland,” Ireland's Tánaiste Simon Coveney said.

“This is a hugely significant announcement for the Irish economy,” added Dublin Airport managing director Vincent Harrison. “Hainan’s new Dublin-Beijing route links not just our two capital cities, but also our two countries. It is great news for tourism and trade and this improved connectivity will create new jobs throughout Ireland."

Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: “This is a fantastic day for Edinburgh Airport and for Scotland as we connect Scotland and China for the first time. We are two countries steeped in history and rich in culture, offering new destinations for people from both countries to visit and explore.

“Edinburgh is second only to London as the most popular UK destination for Chinese tourists, and we have worked incredibly hard with partners across the city and country to get to this point.”

Hainan Airlines carried almost 72 million passengers to 110 destinations last year on a fleet of 300 aircraft. It is part of the Chinese-based global HNA Group, which also owns the Dublin-based aircraft leasing business Avolon. Hainan, which has seven existing routes between China and western Europe, will operate its new Irish service with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

Hainan Airlines chairman Bao Qifa said: “As a five-star airline and an outstanding representative of Chinese national enterprises, Hainan Airlines actively participates in the One Belt One Road Initiative, and is committed to becoming the forerunner and practitioner of achieving China’s civil aviation power.”

In 2017 about 120,000 passengers travelled between Ireland and mainland China, with journeys to and from Beijing accounting for more than a quarter of those trips.

The planned flight times for the new Dublin-Beijing route are as follows (all times local):

The direct Beijing-Dublin flights will operate on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights will depart Beijing at 01:30, arriving in Dublin at 06:00. The direct Dublin-Beijing service will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays and will depart Dublin Airport at 11:10, arriving in Beijing at 05:00 the following day.

The Beijing-Edinburgh-Dublin service will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Flights will depart Beijing at 01:30, arriving in Dublin at 09:10 via Edinburgh. The Dublin-Edinburgh-Beijing service will operate on Thursdays and Sundays, departing at 08:00 and arriving in Beijing via Edinburgh at 05:00 the following day.