Xiamen Airlines launches Davao’s first direct flight to mainland China

Xiamen Airlines
Davao City now has a direct route to mainline China.

China’s Xiamen Airlines has launched a direct flight service from the Chinese mainland to Davao — a first for the southern Philippine city.

Davao now joins Manila, Cebu and Kalibo as having a direct link to China with Xiamen Airlines, after maiden flights to and from Quanzhou today (Tuesday, December 18). 

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Quanzhou, one of the three central cities in China’s Fujian Province, holds the distinction of being the only UNESCO-accredited starting point of the Maritime Silk Road

In October, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Davao was opened. At the inauguration ceremony, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi announced the new flight route, stating that it “is set to inject fresh vitality into the development of Davao and the southern part of the Philippines”. 

Then, last month, Davao and the Jinjiang district of Quanzhou became “sister cities”

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The Davao-Quanzhou flight route is serviced with Boeing 737s. The flight departs from Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport at 9am every Tuesday and Friday, arriving in Davao at 12.15pm. The return flight leaves Davao International Airport at 13.15pm, arriving in Quanzhou at 16.30pm. It is currently the only direct flight between Davao and Mainland China.

Xiamen Airlines expansion

In recent years, President Duterte has built a close working relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, boosting cooperation between the two nations in tourism, culture and education has produced fruitful results. 

At present, China is the largest trading partner, destination of exports and source of imports for the Philippines and second largest source of tourists for the Philippines. 

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Xiamen Airlines opened direct flights between Manila and Xiamen in 1986, making it one of the first Chinese carriers to offer direct flights between China and the Philippines. In recent years, Xiamen Airlines has devoted a greater part of its transportation capacity to the country.

Before the opening of the Davao-Quanzhou flight route, Xiamen Airlines’ flight network included six routes – Manila-Xiamen/Quanzhou, Cebu-Xiamen/Fuzhou and Kalibo-Hangzhou/Fuzhou.

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