A new direct flight from Dublin to China has been announced

You will soon be able to fly direct from Dublin to China after a new route has been announced.

Chinese airline Hainan Airlines has confirmed plans to launch a direct flight from Dublin to Beijing from June. It will offer two non-stop flights each week, with two additional flights stopping over in Edinburgh. According to Newstalk, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney announced the news as part of his visit to Beijing ahead of St Patrick's Day. The direct flights will operate on from Sundays and Thursdays, while the flights via Edinburgh will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Speaking at an event, he said:

"Efforts to bring about the direct flights have been ongoing for the past four years both in Dublin and in China through the work of the Embassy of Ireland in Beijing, Tourism Ireland and the other Irish state agencies. Dublin Airport has been in talks with Hainan representatives throughout the period, and has worked as a close knit team with Tourism Ireland and our officials both here and in Dublin. In Ireland, our resident Chinese community will enjoy faster journeys when returning home for holidays, and we look forward to welcoming greater numbers of Chinese visitors."