China's Hainan Airlines will begin direct flights between Beijing and Berlin from September, the airline and Berlin airport authorities announced in Berlin on Friday.

Up from Sept. 5, the Hainan Airlines will start to offer four nonstop flights a week between the two capital cities on Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The new route will take less than nine hours, an airline official said at a press conference in Berlin.

Berlin will then become the fourth German city to have direct flights to China, after Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf.

Zhao Bin, the Chinese minister counselor to Germany, said the launch of the new route will help expand economic, cultural and tourism cooperation between China and Germany, and will contribute to the friendly cooperation between their capital cities.

Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit said the direct route is very important to promote exchanges and cooperation between Germany and China as well as other Asian countries, and will benefit Berlin economically.

(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2008)