LHASA, July 10 -- Tibet Airlines will begin operating two new air routes linking Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, with two other domestic cities on Friday, authorities said.

A daily route connecting Lhasa with south China's Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province will leave Lhasa at 11:30 a.m. and arrive in Shenzhen at 3:20 p.m. The return flight will leave Shenzhen at 4:25 p.m. and arrive in Lhasa at 8:45 p.m.

Another route linking Lhasa with central China's Changsha City, capital of Hunan Province will be operated every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It will leave Lhasa at 12:10 p.m. and arrive in Changsha at 3 p.m. The return flight will leave Changsha at 3:50 p.m. and land in Lhasa at 7 p.m.

Both routes are the only direct flights linking Lhasa with Shenzhen and Changsha, according to Lin Mingjing, manager of Tibet Airlines marketing department. "They will provide more choices for passengers."

Tibet Airlines is the first airline company based in Tibet. Launched in 2011, the airline has networks covering major inland cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Hangzhou.