Hainan Airlines has applied with federal and state agencies to operate the first nonstop scheduled service from The People’s Republic of China to Hawaii.

If the application is approved, China’s largest nonstate-owned airline this fall would begin offering one weekly flight between between Beijing and Honolulu. The number of flights could be increased to three times a week as demand builds, the airline said in a news release.
Hainan Airlines has submitted applications with the U.S. Department of Transportation and Hawaii Department of Transportation.
Gov. Linda Lingle said the direct flights from China would provide a boost to the local tourism industry, which is struggling to recover from a prolonged slump.
Hainan said it plans to use a three-class Airbus A340-600 on the new route. Hainan Airlines currently operates nonstop flights between Beijing and Seattle four times a week, a service that began in June 2008.