A Hainan Airlines plane. Photo: Mjordan 6 via Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – China’s Hainan Airlines has filed a request with Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority to operate three weekly direct flights between Beijing and Tel Aviv, starting in September.

The flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, days on which Israel’s El Al Airlines does not operate flights on the Tel Aviv-Beijing route. The move by Hainan Airlines, China’s fourth-largest carrier, is the result of efforts by Israeli Tourism Minister Uzi Landau, Tourism Ministry Director-General Amir Halevy, and Israeli Ambassador to China Matan Vilnai.

Over the past year, Israeli officials highlighted to Hainan Airlines officials the economic viability of operating regular flights between Beijing and Ben-Gurion International Airport. Until now, only El Al has operated flights on that route.