Dublin [Ireland], June 28: A nonstop flight route between Dublin and Beijing was reopened here on Tuesday, after being suspended for more than three years. It is the only flight route that directly connects Ireland to China.
Operated by China's Hainan Airlines, the route offers two return flights each week, leaving Dublin Airport on Tuesday and Saturday.
The direct flight between Dublin and Beijing is undertaken by an Airbus A330-300 aircraft capable of carrying 291 passengers, with a single trip lasting for an estimated ten and a half hours, said sales manager for Hainan's Dublin Office Wang Xuezheng.
"This will greatly facilitate travel between the two countries," said Wang, adding that the initial market response to the resumption of the Dublin-Beijing direct flight route has been encouraging.
"Today over 240 passengers will fly to Beijing by taking our flight," Wang told Xinhua at Dublin Airport.
Established in 1993 in south China's Hainan Province, the largest special economic zone and free trade port of China, by the end of last year Hainan Airlines was operating around 1,700 domestic flight routes and over 200 international flight routes.
The Dublin-Beijing direct flight route was first launched by Hainan Airlines in June 2018, and suspended in October 2019, said Wang.
Source: Xinhua