A passenger plane flies over a Cathay Pacific Airways passenger plane at the Hong Kong Airport. (Photo : Reuters)
China has opened on April 2, Thursday, a new large-capacity air route between the Pearl River Delta in South China and the Northwest region of the country, which would enable commercial jets to fly to and from one destination on two separate air lines for domestic and foreign flights.
The Air Traffic Management Bureau of China's Civil Aviation Administration said that the new 1,600-kilometer air route would connect new air lanes with idle ones.
The Global Times reported that the new air route, called the "Guangzhou-Lanzhou Air Passage," would allow pilots to fly non-stop between Guangdong Province and the provincial capital of Lanzhou in Gansu Province.
The bureau also announced the opening of nine new air lanes in the new route for foreign airlines, which cover more than 2,000 kilometers.
For domestic flights, five air lanes were also added, which cover a maximum of 497 kilometers.
According to the news site, the opening of the new route will facilitate air travel for more than 400 domestic flights which fly daily to and from 32 airports in seven provincial regions, including Macao and Hong Kong.
In its statement on March 25, the bureau said that the new route will serve as the main channel between the Pearl River Delta, the economic region in South China, and the Silk Road Economic Belt.
The report said that the new route would not only help reduce air traffic congestion, but also enhance awareness for flight safety.
The Beijing-Kunming route was launched in December last year, while the Beijing-Guangzhou route opened in February this year.
