Dominican Republic nearer as Air China opens direct flight to Havana

Santo Domingo.– With the direct route Beijing-Havana, the first route for Chinese carriers between China and Cuba which opened Sunday, the Dominican Republic is now nearer for Chinese travelers who want make a multi-destination tourism trip to the Caribbean.

The new route, via Montreal, has three flights per week using Boeing 747-8 or Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, the carrier said.

According to Air China, the trade volume between China and Cuba increased by 57 percent to US$1.60 billion in the past nine months.

The carrier has opened 29 international routes this year, the most flights opened for the airline in recent years.

Cuba has seen a 20% growth in the number of its overseas visitors since Washington started lifting its decades-long embargo last year. The number of Chinese tourists in Cuba has surpassed 25 thousand this year so far.