Asian air route updates, including multiple new flights between China and Thailand

Thailand’s NewGen taps Chinese demand for Krabi

Where? Krabi (Thailand) to Hefei (China)
When? Three times a week, effective immediately
Who? NewGen Airways
Why? Thai carrier adds another charter service to cater for the huge volume of Chinese travellers visiting Thailand’s southern beaches
Anything else? Including scheduled and charter services, NewGen now connects Krabi with 10 Chinese cities

Qingdao gets new long-haul link

Where? Qingdao, pictured (China) to Moscow (Russia)
When? Four times a week, effective 5 July 2017
Who? Beijing Capital Airlines
Why? To make the Chinese coastal city accessible to Russian travellers, as well as serving the Chinese outbound market
Anything else?  This will mark the first of two new long-haul routes from Qingdao, with Beijing Capital Airlines also planning to launch flights to Sydney in August

Hainan Airlines links Asian islands

Where? Haikou (China) to Phuket (Thailand)
When? Three times a week, effective 6 July 2017
Who? Hainan Airlines
Why? New service mainly catering for outbound Chinese travellers visiting Phuket’s popular beach resorts
Anything else? Haikou is the capital of Hainan, China’s southern province, which is being developed into China’s own tourism island, in the mould of Phuket, Bali or Hawaii

China Southern resumes Shenyang-Bangkok

Where? Shenyang, pictured (China) to Bangkok (Thailand)
When? Three times a week, effective 13 July 2017
Who? China Southern Airlines
Why? The largest operator at Shenyang’s Taoxian International Airport continues to add international routes for residents of major northeastern city
Anything else? This marks the resumption of a previously suspended service, and China Southern becomes the fourth airline operating scheduled flights on the route

China Airlines flies to Changsha

Where? Taipei Taoyuan (Taiwan) to Changsha, pictured (China)
When? Three times a week, effective 11 September 2017
Who? China Airlines
Why? Taiwanese national carrier continues to expand cross-Strait routes despite declining inbound traffic from mainland China
Anything else? Changsha is home to a huge statue of a young Mao Tse-tung, located on an island in the Xiangjiang River

Xiamen Airlines adds another trans-Pacific route

Where? Xiamen (China) to Los Angeles (USA)
When? Three times a week, effective 11 December 2017
Who? Xiamen Airlines
Why? Expanding Chinese carrier taps demand for trans-Pacific routes to US; the new service will operate via Qingdao
Anything else? Xiamen Airlines will operate this route using its largest aircraft, a 257-seat, two-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner