Hainan Airlines, China's fourth largest carrier which flies to over 90 cities across the globe, has launched its first direct flight to Dubai from the Chinese capital Beijing.

Hainan Airlines began its operations in 1993 from its original hub at Haikou in Hainan province, the largest special economic zone in China. Its International network now includes Seattle, Moscow, Brussels, Berlin, and Budapest.

The airline, which boasts of a modern fleet of Boeing 737 & 767aircraft, as well as Airbus A330 & A340, will fly twice a week on the Beijing-Dubai sector, said Sharaf Travel, the airline's GSA in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region.

Hainan has unveiled a special introductory offer to celebrate the launch of these direct flights, he noted.

Commenting on the new service, Salah Sharaf, chairman of Sharaf Travel, said: “The new service is expected to boost trade relations and further enhance tourism between the two countries.”

Hainan Airlines has expanded into seven additional domestic hubs at Beijing, Xi’an, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Guangzhou, Lanzhou and Dalian.

The Chinese carrier places great importance on its customer service levels, both on the ground and in the air, Sharaf added.

In 2007 it won the Golden Eagle Award, a civil aviation safety award, and in 2008 was awarded “The best airline of Mainland China” by Skytrax.

Also in 2008 it was awarded the “Best Airline in China” award by Global Traveler in their GT-tested reader survey.-TradeArabia News Service