Direct flights connect Urumqi, Astana

A direct air route opened on Monday between Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

The flight will be operated by China Southern Airlines on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, according to the Xinjiang branch of the airline.

China Southern Airlines is the only domestic airline company that offers direct flight services from China to Astana, according to the company.

Before the creation of the new route, the airline had already established a route connecting Urumqi and the Kazakh city of Almaty, with seven scheduled round-trip flights each week.

Plus the new route, China Southern Airlines operates 15 international air routes connecting Xinjiang with central and western Asian countries and European countries.