MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hainan Airlines' maiden voyage of non-stop flight HU7991 with 246 passengers on board landed at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport in Australia at 7:00 am on November 9, 2016, following an 11-hour journey. The flight, serviced by an Airbus A330, took off from Xi'an, a thriving cultural center and home to thousands of years of Chinese heritage and history.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161109/437735

The flight served as an announcement of Hainan Airlines' formal launch of non-stop service between Xi'an and Melbourne. The airline plans to roll out its Changsha-Melbourne non-stop flight service on November 9th. The two new services complement the airlines' intercontinental network and provide more convenient choices for passengers flying internationally.

In line with China-Australia free trade agreements, Australia has extended the validity of its multiple-entry tourist visas for Chinese visitors from three years to 10, becoming the fourth country to do so following the US, Canada and Singapore. Hainan Airlines' non-stop flight to Melbourne brings more Chinese investors to Australia, and adds an additional transportation choice for business travelers shuttling between China and Australia as well as international students and tourists, while giving them access to the Oriental style of hospitability that the airline is known for. The non-stop service between Xi'an and Melbourne will facilitate cultural exchanges between the two countries. Hainan Airlines is the sole Chinese airline providing non-stop service between the two cities.

Hainan Airlines' Xi'an-Melbourne and Changsha-Melbourne Flight Schedule:
(All departure and arrival times are listed in local time)

SOURCE Hainan Airlines Co., LTD