China Southern Airlines on Thursday resumed direct passenger flights between Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The flights will run twice a week. Flight CZ6069 departs Urumqi on Thursday and Sunday evenings, with a flying time of about 6.5 hours.
The return flight CZ6070 leaves Dubai early on Monday and Friday, taking about 5.5 hours, the airline said in a statement.
"The time of travel from Xinjiang to Dubai has been halved from over ten hours to just six hours. This makes the travel more convenient and efficient, offering an excellent experience," said Lu Helin, a travel agency staffer.
In addition to facilitating domestic passengers' travel to overseas destinations, this route also enables international visitors to reach popular tourist spots in Xinjiang more easily and to seamlessly make transit trips to other major cities across China.
Lu Jing, deputy leader of the No. 3 Team of the Urumqi Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station, said the flight will boost the tourism sectors of both countries.
"Currently, the UAE implements a visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens. Chinese citizens holding a valid ordinary passport can stay in the UAE for up to 30 days without a visa. The reopening of this flight route will robustly promote mutual complementary between Xinjiang and Dubai in tourism resources," she said.
The air route has so far been the shortest one between China and the UAE.
China Southern Airlines resumes Urumqi-Dubai direct flight
