Hainan Airlines launches direct service to Calgary

Passengers heading from Beijing to Calgary in western Canada can now fly directly to the city, after Hainan Airlines launched a nonstop service on Thursday.

The airline is temporarily operating an Airbus A 330-200 on the route, offering flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The frequency will rise to four flights a week later this year. The planned Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operation will begin in early August.

It is the first direct flight between a Chinese city and Calgary, Canada's oil capital. Hainan Airlines also operates a direct service to Toronto, the country's financial center.