China's Xinjiang gets first direct passenger air link to Germany

URUMQI, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A new China Southern Airlines service linking south China's Guangzhou, northwest China's Urumqi and Frankfurt of Germany began operations on Monday.

The marks the first direct international passenger air route from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Germany.

The route makes the regional capital Urumqi a stop on a twice-weekly intercontinental service to Frankfurt, with the Urumqi-Frankfurt leg taking about eight hours, the airline said.

For passengers in Xinjiang traveling to Central Europe, the new service can cut total journey time by more than 10 hours, as they previously often had to transfer through cities such as Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou.

The route is operated on Mondays and Fridays using Boeing 787-9 wide-body aircraft, with round trips offering nearly 600 seats each week, according to China Southern Airlines.

An official with the airline's Xinjiang branch said the route will help expand trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between China and Europe, particularly as China has introduced a unilateral visa-free policy for German citizens.

Xinjiang has been expanding its role as a gateway for China's westward opening up. The region now has 28 regular international passenger routes and 31 international cargo routes linking it with Central Asia, West Asia and Europe, Xinjiang Airport Group noted.