STORY: Hainan Airlines resumes Dublin-Beijing nonstop flight route
DATELINE: June 28, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:07
LOCATION: Dublin
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Dublin Airport
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): EOIN MCGLOUGHLIN, Vice president of Aviation Business Development of Dublin Airport
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SADHBH DEE, Irish student studying at China's Shanghai University
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): CHENG SI, Chinese passenger

STORYLINE:

A nonstop flight route between Dublin and Beijing was reopened in Dublin on Tuesday, after being suspended for more than three years. It is the only flight route that directly connects Ireland to China.

Operated by China's Hainan Airlines, the route offers two return flights each week, leaving Dublin Airport on Tuesday and Saturday.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): EOIN MCGLOUGHLIN, Vice president of Aviation Business Development of Dublin Airport
"It's really great to have a direct link back to China again after four years. We are opening the borders and the economies between Ireland and China. Two flights per week that will have now over the coming summertime, on an Airbus A330-300, with 293 seats, a lot of capacity there, and a really great opportunity for people to visit China and to visit Ireland."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SADHBH DEE, Irish student studying at China's Shanghai University
"I chose this direct flight because it was the most recommended to me by my teachers, and also because instead of spending like 17 hours on a flight, I'm only spending 12 hours on the flight."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): CHENG SI, Chinese passenger
"I chose Hainan Airlines because of the direct flight can help me save a lot of time, which is very convenient."

The Dublin-Beijing direct flight route was first launched by Hainan Airlines in June 2018, and suspended in October 2019.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Dublin.
(XHTV)