Showing that there are increasing business and cultural connections between the US and China, Hainan Airlines recently launched the first ever nonstop service from Boston to Beijing.
Hainan Airlines will operate the flights year round every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and due to peak demand, will increase frequency to daily from July 18 through the end of August. With its international hub at Beijing, Hainan offers connections to cities throughout China, including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xi’an, and Haikou. Travelers may stopover in Beijing in either direction and connect with numerous additional Chinese cities across the Hainan network such as Chengdu or Dalian. The new Boston flight will complement the carrier’s existing North American service to Beijing from Seattle, Chicago, and Toronto.
Recent changes to visa regulations permit U.S. citizens to stay in Beijing for as long as 72 hours visa-free when traveling to international points beyond China, enabling online onward travel to other key destinations such as Thailand.
“We have had our sights on Boston for a long time, and we are thrilled to finally be able to bring Hainan Airlines to New England. The new flight provides the fastest way to get to Beijing, the capital of China,” said Xie Haoming, President of Hainan Airlines, upon arrival on the first flight. “The new flight saves about three hours off existing routings.”
“Lasting growth in the 21st century global economy will come from our competitiveness in global markets,” said Governor Patrick. “Hainan’s new flight will better serve our international passengers and build upon our growth strategy to open up Massachusetts to new markets to ensure that we remain competitive for many years to come.”
“As Massport is one of the leading economic engines of the region, having non-stop service to China is critical for growing jobs and the regional economy as well as offering nonstop options for leisure travelers,” said Thomas P. Glynn, Massport’s CEO. “The economics and the range of a new generation of aircraft, like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350, make new nonstop routes from Boston to markets like Beijing possible.”