Beijing is truly an amazing city that is an amalgam of China’s ancient history and a nation that has developed a booming economy. Now that there are direct flights from Dublin Airport direct to Beijing Capital International Airport with Hainan Airlines, these will open up many new destinations to Irish business and leisure travellers. This new service is the first between Ireland and China.
Last year, circa 120,000 passengers travelled between Ireland and mainland China, with Beijing accounting for a quarter of these trips. As a destination Beijing has much to offer to Irish visitors.
Hainan Airlines was named a Skytrax 5-Star Airline for the eighth consecutive year, in addition to being awarded in the Best Business Class Amenities, Best Airline China, and Best Airlines Staff in China designations. After joining the roster of Skytrax World’s Top 10 Airlines for the first time in 2017, the airline moved up the rankings to claim eighth place this year, becoming the first mainland China-based airline to win the honour for the second year in a row.
The flights are currently operated by a B787 Dreamliner in a two-class configuration. Business Class is 2x2x2, while Economy Class is 3x3x3. Flights are three times a week during the winter schedule. The airline currently has a fleet of 214 aircraft.
The airline operates a route strategy of large hub to smaller cities and is considering new routes on an ongoing basis. Perhaps their next route from Ireland could be to one of their focus cities, such as Shenzhen. This routing offers onward flights to Oceania with destinations such as Auckland, Brisbane, Cairns and Chiang Rai.
