Hainan Airlines to link Chongqing with Rome

Hainan Airlines will continue its international expansion this April, which the launch of a new service to Rome.

Commencing on 27 April 2015, the Chinese carrier will fly direct to the Italian capital from the western Chinese metropolis of Chongqing.

The launch is designed to coincide with the opening of the World Expo, which kicks off in Milan on 1 May. Following the success of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, many Chinese visitors are expected to travel to Italy for this year’s event.

The Chongqing-Rome service will be operated twice a week, every Monday and Friday. The 13-hour flights will depart Chongqing’s Jiangbei International Airport at 0130, with the return service leaving Rome’s Fiumicino Airport at 1250.

Hainan Airlines will deploy a 292-seat Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the route.

Rome will become Hainan Airlines’ first destination in Italy, and the new route will mark the first direct link between Chongqing and Western Europe. Currently Finnair‘s Chongqing-Helsinki service is the city’s only European connection.

The Chongqing area is home to approximately 30 million people.

sourced:traveldailymedia.com