Hainan Airlines returns to Sydney with Xi'an, Changsha flights
By Chris C., July 13 2016
China-based Hainan Airlines will return to Sydney from later this year as it re-commences non-stop flights to Xi'an, now planned as a year-round service after a successful trial over summer.
Joining that is an all-new Sydney-Changsha route from September 17 2016, with Xi'an flights returning two days earlier on September 15.
Flying to both cities are the airline's Airbus A330-200 aircraft, complete with 36 flatbed seats in business class in a 2-2-2 layout:
“Hainan Airlines’ new Changsha service will provide a direct connection between the capital of China’s Hunan province, home to over 65 million people, and Sydney,” said Sydney Airport MD and CEO Kerrie Mather.
“Hainan Airlines is Sydney Airport’s sixth Chinese mainland airline, making us the world leader for Chinese long haul airlines and connecting Sydney to 10 Chinese cities,” Mather added.
On Thursdays and Sundays, Xi'an-bound passengers on flight HU7994 depart Sydney at 8:20am to reach the Chinese city at 5:55pm local time, while on the return, HU7993 is wheels-up at 5:00pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays for a 7:20am Sydney touchdown the following morning.
Changsha flyers on flight HU7998 can insead leave Sydney at 8:20am on Tuesdays and Saturdays ahead of a 4:30pm arrival that same afternoon, with flight HU7997 pushing back at 6:25pm on Mondays and Fridays to reach Sydney at 6:35am the next day.
The news comes just one day after Beijing Capital Airlines announced the launch of Melbourne-Qingdao-Shenyang flights.
Read: Beijing Capital Airlines to fly Melbourne-Qingdao-Shenyang
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Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
16 May 2011
Total posts 113
Hopefully an announcement for MEL not too far off, Hainan Airlines has applied for Xi'an and Changsha from Melbourne too!
03 Aug 2015
Total posts 58
Yep, this announcement had me a little confused at first because I had seen that they have a permit for both locations for MEL too
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Feb 2015
Total posts 150
OMG, that morning peak rush is gonna get even worse, extra long queues at TRS counters now.
02 Jun 2013
Total posts 55
With both Hainan and Beijing Capital Airlines (as well as Hong Kong Airlines flying into CNS and OOL) being part of the HNA group, one can only assume this is the start of a ramp up that will be in conjunction with the VA investment and future partnership.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
26 Feb 2016
Total posts 97
I'm still waiting for the announcement from VA to include HNA's subsidiaries in the credit and mileage-earning list ... and, of course, the updated global lounge list.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 621
Clearly, HNA Group is putting together all pieces of a giant AU-China mkt puzzle much more rapidly than I had originally expected.
This is a coordinated assault on all the existing big dogs(i.e. CX, CA, MU, CZ and QF) in that mkt.
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