Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines looks to have its eyes set on launching two new routes to the US this December following recent applications submitted to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to launch flights to Boston and Seattle from Chongqing.
Both routes would fly via Shanghai Pudong International Airport, with the Boston service operating four times a week and the Seattle service three times a week, according to a CAAC statement.
The exact schedule for each route has yet to be announced, though the statement did note that Hainan Airlines would fly either its Boeing 787 Dreamliner or Airbus A330 aircraft on the two routes.
This does leave plenty of variety when it comes to the exact seat products and layout that business travellers could expect to find on the flights.
For starters, Hainan Airlines has two configurations for its A330-300s – a 292-seat and a 303-seat variant. The former offers 32 forward-facing seats in the business class cabin, which are laid out in an alternating 1-2-1 configuration…
…while the latter offers just 24 of its new A330 seats that are laid out in a reverse herringbone 1-2-1 configuration.
The airline similarly offers two configurations for its 787-9. Its older 289-seat variant offers 30 forward-facing seats in a 2-2-2 layout…
…while its newer 292-seat aircraft offer 30 reverse herringbone seats (different to those on the A330) in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Hainan Airlines also operates its 787-8s on some long-haul international routes, along with its A330-200.
Boston and Seattle aren’t the only US routes the airline appears to have its sights set on flying to this December. Last month the CAAC revealed the airline had submitted an application for a twice-weekly non-stop route between Xian and Los Angeles, though the airline has yet to formally announce plans for the route.
Back in October last year, the carrier launched two non-stop routes to New York from Chongqing and Chengdu.
