Operated by Beijing-based Capital Airlines, the first direct air route between Qingdao and London was launched on Nov. 17, expanding the international air network Qingdao developed in past few years. 

It is also the first direct air link between Shandong province in East China and the UK. The route is operated by Airbus A330 duo-aisle, wide-bodied airplanes, twice a week on Monday and Friday. 

The one way trip between the Liuting Airport in Qingdao and the Heathrow Airport in London takes 12 hours, offering convenient intercontinental transportation between the regional business hub in East China and the European metropolis. 

The Capital Airlines has launched air routes linking Qingdao to Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, Vancouver in Canada, and Moscow in Russia.