Hainan FTP launches first air route under seventh-freedom traffic right

A landmark passenger route linking China's southern island province of Hainan with Europe commenced operation on Sunday, marking the Hainan Free Trade Port's first operational air service under the "seventh-freedom traffic right."

Flight DV481, operated by Kazakhstan's SCAT Airlines, left Sanya Phoenix International Airport on Sunday morning for Prague, the Czech Republic. The inaugural return flight, DV482, arrived in Sanya on Monday, with 115 Czech passengers successfully entering China.

Seventh-freedom rights allow an airline to carry passengers or cargo solely between two foreign countries without any connection to the airline's home country.

The route is operated by SCAT Airlines using a Boeing 737 MAX 9, with one round-trip flight scheduled per week.

Hainan FTP launches first air route under seventh-freedom traffic right

Gold futures and spot prices surged to record levels this week, driven by rising geopolitical tensions and expectations of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut.

Gold prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) reached new historic highs on Sunday. The most actively traded February 2026 gold futures contract briefly surpassed 4,430 U.S. dollars per ounce during intraday trading.

In London, spot gold prices also broke records, crossing the 4,400 U.S. dollars per ounce mark on Monday local time.

According to U.S. media reports, the sharp rally in gold is mainly attributed to intensifying geopolitical tensions and growing market expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.

Gold prices hit historic highs amid global tensions