Hainan Airlines released a year-end network update on December 24, outlining new and recently launched services that will run through the 2025-26 winter–spring season and into 2026. Highlights include Haikou – London Heathrow (weekly), Haikou – Brussels (three-weekly via Chongqing), and Haikou – Jeddah—the first direct link between southern China and Saudi Arabia.
Within Asia, the carrier inaugurated Haikou – Nha Trang in late November and Haikou – Ho Chi Minh City on 15 December, each with multiple weekly rotations, alongside a twice-weekly Bo’ao (Qionghai) – Kuala Lumpur service. Together, the additions position Hainan Free Trade Port as an emerging gateway for leisure and business traffic.
For travelers excited by these new routes but unsure about visa requirements for onward journeys in China or elsewhere, VisaHQ can help simplify the paperwork. The company provides real-time guidance and online application processing for Chinese visas and many other travel documents, letting passengers focus on trip planning rather than bureaucracy. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
![Hainan Airlines Announces Global Route Expansion from Haikou for 2026]()
The airline says the expansion leverages China’s visa-free transit and unilateral visa-waiver policies, which have cut paperwork for passengers transiting Hainan before exploring the Mainland’s 24 provinces. Tourism boards in Belgium and the UK welcomed the extra capacity, noting pent-up demand for China travel following the pandemic.
From a mobility perspective, the new routes give multinationals more one-stop options for moving staff between China and Europe, the Middle East and ASEAN markets, while freight forwarders eye belly-hold capacity for high-value perishables and e-commerce shipments.
Industry analysts caution that sustained success will depend on competitive fares and seamless onward connectivity, but they see the expansion as a vote of confidence in China’s reopening trajectory.
Within Asia, the carrier inaugurated Haikou – Nha Trang in late November and Haikou – Ho Chi Minh City on 15 December, each with multiple weekly rotations, alongside a twice-weekly Bo’ao (Qionghai) – Kuala Lumpur service. Together, the additions position Hainan Free Trade Port as an emerging gateway for leisure and business traffic.
For travelers excited by these new routes but unsure about visa requirements for onward journeys in China or elsewhere, VisaHQ can help simplify the paperwork. The company provides real-time guidance and online application processing for Chinese visas and many other travel documents, letting passengers focus on trip planning rather than bureaucracy. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
The airline says the expansion leverages China’s visa-free transit and unilateral visa-waiver policies, which have cut paperwork for passengers transiting Hainan before exploring the Mainland’s 24 provinces. Tourism boards in Belgium and the UK welcomed the extra capacity, noting pent-up demand for China travel following the pandemic.
From a mobility perspective, the new routes give multinationals more one-stop options for moving staff between China and Europe, the Middle East and ASEAN markets, while freight forwarders eye belly-hold capacity for high-value perishables and e-commerce shipments.
Industry analysts caution that sustained success will depend on competitive fares and seamless onward connectivity, but they see the expansion as a vote of confidence in China’s reopening trajectory.
