Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines’ two new Los Angeles services have now officially launched, providing new links between the US west coast and Chengdu and Chongqing in the west of China.

The airline’s Chengdu-Los Angeles service took off last week, while its Chongqing-Los Angeles flights – the first direct flight connecting the Chinese city with North America – officially began yesterday (March 21).

The new routes join Hainan Airlines’ existing North America services, which include routes to Seattle, San Jose, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, Calgary and Las Vegas, the last of which it launched in December last year.

Hainan Airlines is deploying Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners on both the new Los Angeles routes, which it configures with 36 flat-bed business class and 177 economy class seats.

Outside of the US, the carrier is also expanding its Australasia services, with a new Shenzhen-Auckland route also launched last December, along with flights connecting Changsha and Sydney, and Xian and Changsha with Melbourne in November.

hainanairlines.com