Scotland's first direct flight to China has been launched by Edinburgh Airport.

Hainan Airlines is to operate the service from the capital to Beijing.

The flights will take to the skies from June 12, flying four times a week on an Airbus A330-300.

The service will travel from Beijing to Dublin and then on to Edinburgh and back to Beijing on Thursdays and Sundays, and from Edinburgh to Dublin then Beijing on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Chinese tourism is having an increasing influence on Scotland's economy. Latest figures show the number of visitors from the country has increased by more than 200% in the last ten years.

The capital's links with the Asian nation have seen two Giant Pandas call Edinburgh home since 2011.

Edinburgh Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said: "This is a fantastic day for Edinburgh Airport as we connect Scotland and China for the first time.

"We are two countries steeped in history and rich in culture, offering new destinations for people from both countries to visit and explore.

"Edinburgh is second only to London as the most popular UK destination for Chinese tourists and we have worked incredibly hard with partners across the city and country to get to this point."