Hainan Airlines to serve Vienna from April 2010

According to a report in FlightGlobal Hainan Airlines of China will start daily flights between Shanghai and Vienna from April 2010.

Reportedly Hainan Airlines, with it's main base in Haikou, the capital of the Hainan province, and several hubs all over China, has applied with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate five weekly flights from Shanghai to Brussels and daily flights from Shanghai to Vienna starting in spring of 2010. Equipment to be used is Airbus A330-200.

Hainan Airlines was formed in 1993 with the help of the CAAC and originally operated out of the Hainan province from it's base at Haikou. Rapid growth saw the introduction of hubs at Beijing, Xi'an, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Guangzhou, Lanzhou,Dalian and Shenzhen and the establishment of a national and international network of almost 500 routes to more than 90 cities.

In Europe Hainan Airlines presently serves Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Kiew, Moscow and St. Petersburg on scheduled and charter flights from Beijing. It's long haul fleet is composed of three Airbus A340-600, five Airbus A330-200 and three Boeing B767-300(ER). Eight Boeing B787-8 Dreamliner are on order.

Another Asian airline, EVA Air of Taiwan, reportedly will re-introduce cargo flights via Vienna starting in Summer 2010. Two weekly flights with Boeing B747-400F are planned to serve Vienna on a TPE-DEL-VIE-BRU-DEL-TPE routing.