Starting from Oct. 30, Hainan Airlines (HU) will launch a direct international service linking Xi'an, the capital of Shannxi province in the northwest China, and Seattle in the U.S., which is the first air route connecting northwest China with the U.S., reporter learned from Hainan Airlines Xi'an base.

The Xi'an-Seattle service will be operated twice a week using Airbus A330 aircraft on Wednesday and Saturdays. The out-bound flight HU495 is scheduled to take off from Xi'an at 10:40 a.m. and arrive in Seattle at 12:05 p.m.; while the return flight HU496 will leave Seattle at 2:00 p.m., and arrive in Xi'an at 9:35 p.m. the next day (all local time). The whole journey takes about 16 hours and 25 minutes.

Furthermore, the new air route will be upgraded to be operated by Boeing 787 Dreamliner in January 2014, bringing Hainan Airlines to be the first carrier deploying Boeing 787 in northwest China.

The opening of the direct Xi'an-Seattle service will play an important role in the city's construction of international metropolis and west central aviation hub, build an air bridge linking northwest China and the U.S., and boost the socio-economic development of the western region as well.

Moreover, the Haikou-based carrier will add more capacity into the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY), strengthen HU's "Silk Road" air network and open other international routes to  Europe and East Asia, enhancing the economy communication between the nation and related countries.

Source: WCARN