There were once many around-the-world stopping flights, both on carriers now confined to history books and those that still exist, including 
United Airlines
. Some high-end charter-type services still exist, but if you think such operations have finished for scheduled flights, think again. According to Aeroroutes and reflected in OAG and on booking platforms, Hainan Airlines
will begin a China-USA-Europe-China around-the-world service in mid-October, although it is not quite as it seems.
Hainan Airlines’ routing involves Boston
The Chinese carrier first served Boston Logan International Airport
between June 2014 and March 2020 and returned in late 2023. While it currently operates non-stop to Massachusetts, headwinds and the sheer distance mean it stops in Seattle on the way back to China. This setup ends soon.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
From October 20, it will stop in Europe on the way back to China, with a three times weekly Boeing 787-9 service. The full routing in early November is as follows, with all times local:
- Beijing Capital-Boston: HU729, 13:20-15:00 (same-day arrival)
- Boston-Brussels: HU730, 18:40-07:30+1
- Brussels-Beijing Capital: HU730, 09:00-03:10+1
It will have no traffic rights between Boston and Brussels (obviously, it had no rights on Boston-Seattle), and the 90-minute stop will be simply to refuel and change crew. Hainan Airlines already serves Brussels, and the Brussels-Beijing Capital leg is for sale.
Image: GCMap
Hainan Airlines’ North American network
Its network between November 2024 is expected to be as follows, with all flights on the 787-9. It plans 10 weekly one-way flights from China, just 22% of what OAG shows it had before the pandemic in November 2019. Of course, it is winter and has less demand, but the reduction is nonetheless substantial.
- Beijing Capital-Boston-Brussels-Beijing Capital: three times weekly
- Beijing Capital-Seattle and vice versa: twice-weekly
- Beijing Capital-Tijuana-Mexico City and vice versa: three times weekly
- Haikou-Chongqing-Seattle and vice versa: weekly
- Shenzhen-Vancouver and vice versa: weekly
Its network has changed massively
Hainan Airlines has served North America since June 2008, when it inaugurated Beijing Capital-Seattle service. Since then, it has flown to 12 US, Canada, and Mexico airports, as summarized below.
The following routes might have existed at any point and, in some cases, only for a limited time.
- Boston: first served in 2014; see earlier for the current network (previously flew from Shanghai Pudong, with some flights continuing to Chongqing)
- Calgary: served 2016-2019 (from Beijing Capital)
- Chicago O’Hare: served 2012-2020 (from Beijing Capital, Chongqing (via Beijing), Chengdu Shuangliu, Shanghai Pudong)
- Las Vegas: served 2016-2020 (from Beijing Capital)
- Los Angeles: served 2016-2020 (from Changsha, Chengdu Shuangliu, Chongqing, Shanghai Pudong, Xi’an)
- Mexico City: first served in 2018; see earlier for the current network
- New York JFK: served 2017-2020 (from Chengdu Shuangliu, Chongqing)
- San Jose (California): served 2015-2020 (from Beijing Capital)
- Seattle: first served in 2008; see earlier for the current network (previously flew from Dalian (via Beijing), Shanghai Pudong, and Xi’an (via Beijing))
- Tijuana: first served in 2018; see earlier for the current network
- Toronto: served 2010-2021 (from Beijing Capital, Chongqing (via Beijing), and Xian)
- Vancouver: first served in 2018; see earlier for the current network (previously flew from Tianjin)