Hainan Airlines have applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for rights to launch two new routes to Sapporo, Japan in May 2017.

The Haikou-based carrier plans to launch two routes to Sapporo from Guangzhou and Shenzhen, according to an announcement released Wednesday on the CAAC's official website.

Pending government approval, Hainan Airlines will operate the Shenzhen-Sapporo and Guangzhou-Sapporo services four-times weekly, using Boeing 738 aircraft.

The Air Transportation Department of CAAC is soliciting public comments on the application until March 12, 2017.