A new direct air route linking Xi’an, the capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, with Shymkent in Kazakhstan was officially launched on Thursday.
The service is operated by Kazakhstan’s Scat Airlines, with the inaugural flight departing Xi’an at 2:47 a.m. Beijing time and arriving in Shymkent at 4:50 a.m. local time.
Xi’an airport has seen a surge in travel to Central Asia this year, recording over 78,000 passenger trips and more than 700 flights in the first six months, a year-on-year increase of 40% and 19%, respectively.
Previously, the journey between the two Belt and Road cities could take over 12 hours with layovers. The new direct route cuts the travel time to just five hours.
The new service strengthens Xi’an airport’s role as a key regional aviation hub and bolsters connectivity between China and Central Asia. The airport now offers 58 international passenger routes, including 18 weekly flights to countries in Central Asia.
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