Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines is to relaunch a summer route between Edinburgh and Beijing next month.
The twice weekly service will be the only non-stop route between Scotland and China when it starts on 26 June. The seasonal flights will operate from Edinburgh on Monday and Friday up to 8 October.
Hainan will also restart services between Dublin and Beijing from 27 June to 7 October, which will also operate twice per week. The airline previously operated a joint service from Beijing to both Dublin and Edinburgh before the Covid crisis, while flights from Manchester resumed last summer.
Gordon Dewar, CEO of Edinburgh airport, said the restoration of the route to China provided “further evidence of the strong recovery we’re seeing here”.
“This service will be the only one operating between Scotland and China when it is introduced and is a real show of faith in the market by Hainan Airlines,” added Dewar.
“This important connectivity will provide a boost to Scotland’s universities and tourism industry, open up a wealth of new business opportunities and enable better access to other parts of the world.”
Scotland’s transport minister Kevin Stewart said: “This direct connectivity is great news for people and businesses in both Scotland and China, building strong links for business and exports.”
The number of flights between China and the UK has picked up in the past few months after the Chinese authorities reopened to international travellers in January following the pandemic.
British Airways restarted flights from Heathrow to Shanghai last month, with services to Beijing due to begin again in June. Rival Virgin Atlantic also resumed Heathrow-Shanghai services earlier this month.