Edinburgh Airport welcomes first direct flight from China
Last updated 12th Jun 2018
The first ever direct flight between Scotland and China has landed at Edinburgh Airport.
The four-weekly, year-round service with Hainan Airlines to Beijing Capital International Airport is Scotland's first connection to the Far East. It's expected to bring in an extra 29,000 Chinese visitors to the capital.
A piper from the world famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo also welcomed the passengers as they arrived.
It is one of the most valuable tourism markets worldwide and has already contributed £26.5m to Edinburgh's economy.
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, says: "This is a momentous day as we connect not only Edinburgh and Beijing for the first time, but Scotland and China too. It is a route which has immense opportunities for our countries, from tourism and business to culture, education and more.
"We know that Edinburgh is second only to London for Chinese tourists and we are eager to welcome more people to our fantastic capital city, but it's also about connecting people from Scotland to Beijing and wider China thanks to Hainan's hub network."