London-Xi'an direct flight resumes

LONDON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A direct flight route linking London and Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, resumed on Sunday, after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first flight was scheduled to take off from Heathrow Airport at 10:00 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) on Sunday, and land in Xi'an in about 10.5 hours.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time," said Tarvin Joseph, a third-year international student studying at Beijing International Studies University.

With the direct flight, it is much easier to travel to China, especially for those traveling with children, said Carl Rosenberg, who will travel to Xi'an with his three-year-old child.

The intercontinental route, operated by China's Tianjin Airlines, has transported more than 75,000 passengers since its launch in May 2018.

With the resumption of the route, the airline has also launched connecting flights from over 50 domestic airports via Xi'an to London, providing passengers across China with more options.

It is with great pleasure that we can offer the Chinese people the opportunity to come to Britain and shuttle between the two countries, said Mark Hardman, services manager at Terminal Three of Heathrow Airport.

Direct passenger flights between China and Britain have resumed since August 2022.

The Chinese mainland passengers have no longer been required to take a pre-departure COVID test before traveling to Britain since April 5.