First-ever direct flight Beijing and Hawaii likely by the fall of 2009

Hainan Airlines, the biggest private airline in China, is planning to start regular, scheduled, direct flights between Beijing, the capital of China, and Hawaii in the United States.  Aviation regulators in China have already approved Hainan Airlines’ proposal, and the regulators in the United States are expected to clear the plan, according to media reports.

In a statement, Hainan Airlines said that the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Hawaii Department of Transportation are likely to approve the first-ever non-stop flight between Beijing and Honolulu soon.

On the Beijing-Hawaii service, which is likely to begin in the fall of 2009, Hainan Airlines is planning 1 flight a week, to start with. Later, the service will be increased to 3 weekly roundtrips flights.

In the statement, Hainan Airlines said it will use an Airbus aircraft – which can seat about 300 people, including 8 lie-back first-class seats – on the Beijing-Hawaii route.

According to aviation experts, the Beijing-Hawaii air link will be the culmination of efforts lasting about 25 years to connect China and Hawaii by air.

The proposed service will be a big boost for Hawaii’s tourism since China is the most populous country in the world as well as a fast-growing source of outbound passengers, experts say.

The United States and China had, a few years ago, signed an agreement allowing a certain number of slots for flights linking the two countries – to be equally divided between US-based carriers and China-based carriers.

Even though Hawaiian Airlines had applied for one of the limited slots – in order to fly to Shanghai – that slot went to the United States-based American Airlines, which it used to operate services between Chicago and Shanghai.

Hawaiian Airlines, based in Haikou in the Hainan province of China, already operates services on the Beijing-Seattle route. The Beijing-Seattle service, which started with 1 flight a week in June 2008, is planned to be increased to 3 weekly roundtrips flights.