Chinese carriers Hainan Airlines and China Eastern Airlines have scheduled the launch of new international service over the coming weeks with the addition of flights to Russia and Spain.

Hainan Airlines is expanding its presence in Russia by launching flights to Vladivostok, marking the Chinese airline's third destination in the country. The new route represents the first nonstop connection between Dalian in northeastern China and the Russian Far East city in more than six years since Aeroflot withdrew from the market.

From Oct. 19, Hainan will offer one flight per week between Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC) and Vladivostok International Airport (VVO) using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The 629-mi. (547-nm) route will operate on Thursdays.

Vladivostok, a major Pacific port city and a terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, becomes the third city in Russia served by the carrier alongside Moscow and St. Petersburg. Flights are currently provided from Beijing Capital daily to Moscow Sheremetyevo and 1X-weekly to St. Petersburg Pulkovo.

The VVO route is also Hainan’s first international service from DLC since March 2023 when flights to Seoul Incheon and Tokyo Narita were suspended. It currently connects the Liaoning Province airport to 15 domestic points in China.

Additionally, Hainan plans to resume operations between Chongqing and Paris Charles de Gaulle on Nov. 28 using 787-9s. The route will be offered once a week and returns to the airline’s network for the first time since February 2020.

Elsewhere, China Eastern’s European network will grow from Nov. 22 when the SkyTeam alliance member starts flying to Spain’s capital Madrid from Wenzhou Longwan International Airport (WNZ). Service will be twice a week onboard Airbus A350-900 equipment.

The carrier already serves Madrid Adolfo Suarez-Barajas Airport (MAD) from Shanghai Pudong, flying daily on the route with A350-900s. However, data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser data shows frequencies will reduce to 5X-weekly from the start of the northern winter 2023-24 season.

For Wenzhou, the new MAD route will become the city’s third nonstop connection to Europe. China Eastern currently flies to Rome Fiumicino Airport twice a week, while Air China provides a 4X-weekly link to Milan Malpensa Airport.