Xiamen Airlines launching direct flights to Seattle from Xiamen

China’s Xiamen Airlines recently announced it will be launching new flights to Seattle from Shenzhen. The direct flights services are scheduled to begin operations from September 2016. The new route will also offer connectivity to the travelers between Shenzhen and Xiamen as well.

This will also be Xiamen Airlines’ first direct flights between southeast China’s economic powerhouse city Shenzhen and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Moreover, this will also be the airline’s first direct service between the United States and Shenzhen.

Xiamen Airlines will deploy Boeing 787-8 aircrafts to operate flights on Shenzhen-Seattle route. The flights services between the two destinations would be conducted thrice weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The inaugural flight will take off from Xiamen in the morning of September 26, 2016 with a stopover in Shenzhen prior to flying nonstop to Seattle. Similarly, the inaugural inbound flight to Xiamen will depart from Seattle in the afternoon of September 26.

Zhao Dong, Executive Vice President of Xiamen Airlines, said, “We are delighted to inform that Xiamen Airlines is currently operating a strong 153 all-Boeing aircrafts fleet and has to its credit profitability of 29 consecutive years. The company is proud of the achievements of the airline, which has been transporting more than 23 million passengers annually.”

Dong further remarked that it is a momentous occasion for Xiamen Airlines with the launch of its first ever flights services to the United States. The new Xiamen-Shenzhen-Seattle route has extended the airline’s international flight network and would be offering new choices to the customers for travel between the United States and China.

It may be known that Seattle-Tacoma International Airport or Sea-Tac has flourished over the past two years and is now the fastest growing large hub airport in the United States. The airport with over 42.3 million passenger traffic created a record for the fifth straight year in 2015. During the first quarter of 2016, the passenger numbers at the airport increased by 10 percent despite being a lean travel season.