The Hainan Airlines inaugural flight HU470 from Brussels to Chongqing takes off at the Brussels Airport in Brussels, Belgium, Nov. 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's Hainan Airlines on Saturday launched a direct passenger service between Brussels and southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, adding a new air link between Belgium and China's western region.

The route, operated three times a week as flight HU470 from Brussels, is the carrier's fourth direct connection from Brussels to the Chinese mainland, after services to Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, the airline said.

With the addition of the Brussels-Chongqing flights, Hainan Airlines now operates 17 weekly passenger services between Belgium and China.

Iwona Jakobczyk, a passenger on the inaugural flight, told Xinhua it was her second visit to Chongqing. On her previous trip, a transfer meant the journey took more than 20 hours. "This time the direct flight took around 10 hours, which is very convenient," she said.

Jakobczyk said she was making use of China's visa-free policy and planned to stay in the country for 11 days, including two days in Chongqing before travelling on to Chengdu, home of the giant panda.

Sylvie Van den Eynde, chief passenger aviation officer at Brussels Airport Company, said the new route would "make a huge difference both for Chinese passengers who want to connect to Europe" and for Belgian passengers who travel to China or use China to connect to other Asian countries.

She said Brussels Airport expects passenger traffic between Brussels and China in 2025 to surpass pre-pandemic levels, supported by China's visa-free entry policy for short-term visits by Belgian travellers.

The airport is looking to deepen cooperation with Chinese airlines and expects to add more direct routes to Chinese cities in 2026, she added.