The Port of Seattle on Sept. 26, welcomed the first flight of Xiamen Airlines from Shenzhen, China to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with a grand celebration. The service marks the first U.S. nonstop destination for Xiamen. The announcement marks Sea-Tac Airport’s 15th new international destination in the past 10 years.
The celebration included a ribbon cutting and toast to the airline, which features 787-8 service to Sea-Tac Airport. Xiamen has a special connection to the Pacific Northwest since it flies an all-Boeing fleet. The new service increases the strong business and community ties between Seattle and Shenzhen, one of China’s largest cities.
“Sea-Tac Airport is one of the most connected gateways to Asia and it is an honor that Xiamen chose Seattle to launch its U.S. service,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman. “Shenzhen is known as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of China and this new destination will be a tremendous opportunity for both business and leisure travelers to experience our shared values. We commend Xiamen for using the state-of-the-art Boeing 787, which furthers the Port of Seattle’s goals of being the greenest and most energy efficient port while advancing our region as a business and tourism hub.”
The service begins in the city of Xiamen (headquarters to Xiamen Airlines), then shuttle to Shenzhen before making the nonstop flight to Seattle. Xiamen operates the largest all-Boeing fleet in China and will serve the route three times per week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) with 787-8 aircraft.
"The launch of the Xiamen-Shenzhen-Seattle service is an important reflection of the results of the meeting between Chinese and American leaders,” said Xiamen Airlines chairman and general manager Che Shanglun. “On the heels of these events, a Fuzhou-New York and a Xiamen-LA service will also be initiated, making air travel, and, by consequence, exchanges between the two countries much easier."
