Hainan Airlines Opens First Nonstop Flight Between China and Czech Republic

A Boeing 767 aircraft of Hainan Airlines (HU) landed smoothly at Vaclav Havel Airport (PRG) at 7:10 a.m. on Sep. 23, marking the official opening of the airline's Beijing-Prague route and the first nonstop flight between China and Czech Republic.

The nonstop service will be offered by Hainan Airlines three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, using a Boeing 767 aircraft with a seating capacity for 223 passengers, including 31 in business and 192 in economy class.

Flight HU7937 is scheduled to depart from Beijing at 2:30 a.m. and arrive in Prague at 7:10 a.m.; while the return flight HU7938 will take off from Prague at 1:30 p.m. and land in Beijing at 5:30 the next day (all local time).

Hainan Airlines has continued its European expansion with the launch of flights to Prague, which becomes the airline's fifth destination in Europe (excluding Russia), following Brussels, Berlin, Paris and Rome.

After the launch of the service, Hainan Airlines will continue to expand its presence in Europe and further complete its global route network; in the meantime, the new service will build an air bridge for the economic and cultural exchanges between two countries and even between China and Europe.

The Haikou-based carrier held a brief but warm welcoming ceremony for the arrival of inaugural Beijing-Prague flight. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka was at the airport for the first arrival. "The air connection can considerably contribute to extending bilateral trade and other contacts," he said.

In addition, Hainan Airlines is continuing to expand its global network by more international services, including Changsha-San Francisco service in near future.