WUHAN, Jan. 27 -- A Dynamic Airways Boeing 767 plane bound for Saipan departed from the Tianhe International Airport in central China's Hubei Province on Monday afternoon, marking the opening of the first direct air route linking the province with the U.S. territory.

A total of 253 passengers boarded the maiden chartered flight, which departed at 5:15 p.m. The flight will take 7 hours and 5 minutes to arrive in Saipan, a popular island resort for China's new rich.

The route will run seasonally, with 6 flights in February and March respectively, and 5 flights in April, according to the frontier inspection authority of Wuhan, the provincial capital.

As an economic growth engine in central China, Wuhan has been boosting its international air routes. There will be 101 flights leaving or bound for Wuhan during the upcoming Spring Festival period, which begins this Friday.

Dynamic Airways is an American charter airline founded in 2010. It operates many regular flights on behalf of other operators.