Chinese airline Hainan Airlines has launched direct flights between Moscow and Haikou, the administrative center of China's Hainan Island province. The first flight from the Russian capital was operated on August 26.
The inaugural flight was 100% full, with both economy and business class seats sold out.
The flight from Moscow to the island takes 9 hours and 35 minutes, and the return flight takes 10 hours and 10 minutes.Flights will operate between Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport and Haikou Meilan International Airport on Mondays,Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
This summer, Hainan Province has become a popular destination for Russian tourists. According to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports of Hainan Province, over 495,000 people visited the island in the first half of the year, which is 3.5 times more than the previous year. Among these visitors were about 49,300 tourists from Russia - 13 times more than in the same period last year.