(Yicai) Oct. 10 -- Hainan Airlines, the only Chinese airline that runs direct flights between Israel and the mainland, intends to stick to the normal schedule to make sure Chinese travelers are able to return home amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Flights between Tel Aviv and Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, will go as scheduled, the Haikou-based carrier said in a statement yesterday. Each route has two round-trip flights per week.

Hainan Airlines will pay close attention to changes in the security situation outside China, carefully assess risks, dynamically adjust relevant flight plans, and announce any adjustments as soon as possible, it added.

More than 1,600 people have died due to the latest Israel-Hamas conflict as of yesterday, according to local medical authorities. Some major European and American airlines, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines, announced their direct flights to Tel Aviv are suspended.

Chinese ticket booking platforms show that in addition to direct flights, Chinese travelers in Israel can also find Emirates and Turkish Airlines flights with layovers to return home.

Chinese people travel to Israel more for business than tourism, an executive at Hainan Airlines said to Yicai. Many travelers have wanted to return home after Oct. 7 when Hamas, a Palestinian armed group, launched its multipronged attack on Israel but some passengers still want to go to Israel, per the executive.

There are no Chinese tour groups in Israel and travel agencies, including Ctrip.Com, Tongcheng Travel, and Spring Tour, have canceled such future trips and started to process refunds, Yicai learned.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Emmi Laine