Hainan Airlines weighs Dublin-Beijing route

Hainan is close to deciding on whether to open a route from Dublin to Beijing in what would be Ireland’s first direct link to Asia’s biggest economy. Hainan, part of the HNA Group which recently bought Irish aircraft lessor, Avolon, has been actively considering the possibility of flying from the capital to Beijing for several months. The group’s COO, William Zhang, confirmed Tuesday that once it has bedded down its recently launched service from the Chinese city to Manchester, that it would focus to Dublin. Zhang said that it was “very likely” that the airline would being flying from Beijing to Dublin, once there was a market for the service and the timing was right. The govt, business groups and the hospitality industry have been anxious for some time to open a direct link with China. <br/>