Riporto il comunicato della SN Brussels riguardo il primo volo di Hainan Airlines tra BRU e la Cina. I 2 vettori operano in c/s sulla rotta.


Fully booked inaugural flight to China

Brussels, 20 July 2006 – Today in Brussels Airport, 233 passengers embarked on board of the inaugural flight connecting Belgium to the People’s Republic of China. The new direct service between Brussels, Beijing and Shanghai is the result of a partnership between SN Brussels Airlines and Hainan Airlines.

Tonight the first direct flight Brussels-Beijing-Shanghai left Brussels Airport. The flight, operated with a boeing 767-300 ER aircraft, was fully booked and had 233 passengers on board ; 34 of them travelling in Business class and 199 in economy. After a journey of 10 hours, the passengers will arrive in the Chinese capital Beijing and after a short stop the aircraft will continue its way to booming business city Shanghai. Belgian Prime Minister attended the ribbon cutting ceremony together with the Chinese Ambassador and the top management of airport operator BIAC, Hainan Airlines, SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express. The second flight to China will also leave Brussels ‘fully booked’ with 233 passengers on Saturday 22nd July 2006.

In total 4 weekly services are offered in both directions. Flights depart from Brussels on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings and arrive in Beijing the next day in the afternoon and in Shanghai in the early evening. Flights depart from Shanghai and Beijing on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and arrive in Brussels the same day in the early evening. The flight to Beijing is a non-stop flight, passengers flying to Shanghai make a short stopover in Beijing and then continue to Shanghai without changing aircraft.

Flight schedule Brussels – Beijing_(local time)_____________Days_

Brussels 20.40 Beijing 12.50 (+1) .2.4.67
Beijing 13.10 Brussels 18.10 .2.4.67

Flight schedule Brussels – Shanghai_(local time)____________Days_

Brussels 20.40 Shanghai 16.35(+1) .2.4.67
Shanghai 08.40 Brussels 18.10 .2.4.67

All flights are operated by Hainan Airlines with state of the art Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft in a business and economy class configuration. Both Hainan Airlines and SN Brussels Airlines are selling the seat capacity.

The flight schedule is ideal for business travellers and tourists. Passengers can also combine the long haul flight with a connecting service to or originating from one of the many EU destinations offered by SN Brussels Airlines. The modern facilities at Brussels airport, nominated Best Airport in Europe 2005, make transfers smooth and convenient. Also the impressive domestic network that Hainan Airlines operates in China allows smooth connections to major cities and business centres.


Both airlines are selling tickets via their respective distribution channels. SN Brussels Airlines is selling tickets via the travel agent, the call centre (070 35 11 11 - in Belgium), the ticketing desks at the airport and www.flySN.com. To celebrate the launch of the new intercontinental flights, very attractive promotional fares are offered. From 23rd July until the end of September 2006 tickets are already available at a promo fare as from 419 €. These fares include all taxes and surcharges.




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About Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines is a privately owned airline based in Haikou in the People’s Republic of China. It is the fourth largest Chinese airline by fleet size (114 aircraft, 8.900 employees). Hainan operates a large domestic network and begun to add international services some years ago. The Hainan Airline Company started its scheduled services in 1993.

About SN Brussels Airlines
SN Brussels Airlines is the Belgian full-service airline based in Brussels, the European Capital, offering its customers a gateway to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the United States. The company, which employs more than 2.170 people, guarantees more than 285 punctual flights a day to 57 European cities, 14 African cities, 1 destination in the Gulf Region (Abu Dhabi) as well as 3 direct flights to North-America (Toronto, New York and Chicago) and many US destinations beyond. SN Brussels Airlines' modern fleet consists of 38 aircraft configured in Business and Economy Class. SN Brussels Airlines has commercial partnerships with world-class companies. SN Brussels Airlines has been rewarded several times for its excellent service and punctuality in the past, and was elected as the “Best Airline” in 2006 by the respectable French consumer organization “Que Choisir”. SN will launch direct flights to Shanghai and Peking as from July 2006, in cooperation with Hainan Airlines. SN Brussels Airlines and sister company Virgin Express are part of the SN Airholding Group and merge their activities next year.

For more information about SN Brussels Airlines, please contact:

Geert Sciot (Vice-President Communication) or Cédric Leurquin (Manager External Communication)
Tel.: +32 (0)2 723 84 00 – Fax : +32 (0)2 723 84 09 – GSM : +32 477 77 49 11, +32 475 42 55 07
E-mail: gsciot@brusselsairlines.com - cleurquin@brusselsairlines.com or go to : www.flySN.com