Hainan Airlines, China's fourth-largest, is reportedly in the process of requesting government approval to open nine new long-haul routes in 2015 from Beijing, covering London Heathrow, Manchester Airport, Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Oakland International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, New York, San Francisco International Airport and Ben Gurion International Airport.
It is exceptionally difficult, however, to see Hainan launch so many new long-haul routes, and some may not even receive approval.
Hainan may receive approval for some routes it does not intend to operate but will keep the route authority.
The three weekly Beijing-Tel Aviv service is planned for Sep-2015 with A330-200.
No Chinese airline serves Israel. The entry of a Chinese company should bring competition to the line, which is currently the exclusive domain of El Al with its three weekly flights to Beijing.
