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Edinburgh today celebrated the vast economic potential of a new air link with one of the world’s fastest-growing emerging markets, as the first Hainan Airlines flight from Beijing landed in the capital - the first ever direct flight from China to Scotland.

The first passengers on the Hainan Airlines flight from Beijing were piped off the plane by a Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo piper.

Two flights a week will now come to Edinburgh following years of work on the Edinburgh-China Air Link Project , which saw Marketing Edinburgh, Edinburgh Airport and the City of Edinburgh Council collaborate to attract a lucrative Chinese air service in the first joint partnership of its kind.

Chinese tourists already contribute £26.5m to Edinburgh’s economy. The new route is expected to bring increased spending across the board, with shops, restaurants, attractions and hotels directly benefiting from a starting capacity of an additional 29,000 Chinese visitors in the city.

Edinburgh Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said: "This is a momentous day as we connect not only Edinburgh and Beijing for the first time, but Scotland and China too.

"It is a route which has immense opportunities for our countries, from tourism and business to culture, education and more.

"We know Edinburgh is second only to London for Chinese tourists and we are eager to welcome more people to our fantastic capital city, but it's also about connecting people from Scotland to Beijing and wider China thanks to Hainan's hub network.

"This is something the city has worked towards for a number of years and we are delighted to see this day finally arrive."

Business Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: "Securing direct links between Scotland and China is one of our key priorities for route development. This new direct Beijing-Edinburgh route is an exciting first chapter in direct air connectivity between Scotland and China.

"It will enable China and Scotland to become closer in partnership and in travel time, building upon existing strong links for business and tourism. The Scottish Government and our agencies look forward to working with Hainan Airlines and Edinburgh Airport to make this route a great success."

“Securing a global flight connection on this scale is hugely encouraging of the capital’s position as an outstanding place to visit, live, work, study and invest," said Fiona Hunter, project manager of the Edinburgh-China Air Link Project.

“The flight path is the result of many years of hard work and is really just the start of the opportunity for Edinburgh. Based on our research we expect to see the number of flights increase quite significantly over the next few years, bringing with it even more investment and economic influence.”