A landmark route linking the island province of Hainan with Europe was launched on Sunday, in what is China's first operational passenger air route under what is known as the "seventh-freedom traffic right".

Flight DV481, operated by Kazakhstan's SCAT Airlines, departed Sanya Phoenix International Airport on Sunday morning bound for Prague, the Czech Republic. The inaugural return flight from Prague landed in Sanya on Monday, where a welcome ceremony was held.

Seventh-freedom rights allow an airline to operate flights between two foreign countries without returning to its home country. The new Sanya-Prague service is a pilot project connecting China's Hainan Free Trade Port with a major European hub. Operators says it represents the highest level of openness in China's civil aviation sector and is seen as a key step in developing Hainan into an international air transport hub.

SCAT Airlines will operate the weekly service using Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft configured with 213 economy-class seats.

"We chose the Sanya-Prague route because Sanya is a key city in the development of the Hainan FTP and actively supports the expansion of the international air transport network," said Vladimir Sytnik, vice-president of SCAT Airlines.

"Prague, as an important European tourism and cultural center, is highly attractive. This route is an ideal entry point for us into seventh-freedom operations."

The new route has been hailed by Chinese and Kazakh officials as a practical outcome of the Belt and Road Initiative, enhancing regional connectivity and creating new opportunities for business and tourism.

Darkhan Katyshev, deputy chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee at Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport, said the route enhances regional connectivity, facilitates the flow of people, and creates new opportunities for tourism and business cooperation. Kazakhstan recognizes the development potential of the Hainan FTP and is willing to actively consider expanding seventh-freedom cooperation projects in the future, while exploring other multilateral cooperation models aimed at improving regional connectivity, Katyshev added.

Customs authorities in Haikou said they established coordination mechanisms with airlines and the airport to facilitate the route's launch, providing tailored guidance and deploying smart inspection technologies and multilingual consultation teams for smoother cross-border travel.

"With the launch of this seventh-freedom passenger route as a new starting point, we will continue to improve airport infrastructure, optimize services and attract more global aviation resources to Hainan," said Yang Xiaobin, president of Hainan Airport Group.

The goal, Yang said, is to build Hainan into a vibrant, influential new highland of openness.