Xiamen Airlines will begin flying to both Beijing and Shenzhen from Shanghai Hongqiao on July 22.
The single daily services will be operated by the Boeing 737-800, with eight seats in business class and 162 in economy.
Flight schedules are as follows:
Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) – Beijing (PEK)
Flight MF8557 SHA 1730 – 2005 PEK
Flight MF8558 PEK 2100 – 2310 SHA
Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) – Shenzhen (SZX)
Flight MF8371 SHA 0915 – 1130 SZX
Flight MF8372 SZX 1240 – 1450 SHA
By flying to high-density Chinese destinations, such as Beijing and Shenzhen, Xiamen Airlines will be able to leverage passenger traffic from both cities.
Operating flights from a popular air hub like Shanghai will also serve to boost passenger loads, as opposed to serving the flights from the carrier’s base at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport.
Xiamen Airlines route network primarily consists of domestic flights within China, while its international network is currently focused on Southeast and Northeast Asia.
However, the carrier is looking to expand its footprint to long-haul routes such as Europe, North American and Australia. The purchase of six Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners was a strategic decision to facilitate its international expansion plans (see here).
For more information, visit xiamenair.com
Clement Huang