The sister city relationship developed between Darwin and the Chinese city of Haikou has blossomed into a possible new air link.
Haikou is the capital of the Chinese province of Hainan.
At a special event held today at the World Routes conference in Adelaide, Darwin International Airport formally celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Haikou International Airport with the objective of developing a direct non-stop route between Darwin and Haikou. The closest capital city to China with a flying time of only 5 hours 30 minutes, Darwin’s geographical position and direct connections with Australia’s other capitals and major tourist attractions make Darwin a natural choice as a hub for flights from Asia. The Lord Mayor of Darwin, Kon Vatskalis together with General Manager Innovation, Growth and Development Services, Joshua Sattler attended the event in Adelaide today to witness the signing. Mr Vatskalis said the signing “represents a significant opportunity for economic development and will deepen our already strong ties with Haikou.” According to the chairman of HNA Airport Group, Mr Zhen Wang, Haikou Meilan International Airport has already opened direct flights between Haikou Sydney and Melbourne. World Routes is the global meeting place for airlines, airports and aviation stakeholders.
Written by Ian McIntosh
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