New Air Route Links China's Ancient City With Malaysia

XI'AN, Feb 23 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- A new air route connecting Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia officially opened on Sunday, reported Xinhua.

At about 8.40 am, an Airbus A320 aircraft departed from the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport. China Eastern Airlines operates the daily round-trip flight. During its outbound journey, it stops in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, at 11.15 am before arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 4.50 pm local time.

The return flight leaves Kuala Lumpur at 5.50 pm local time, stops in Kunming four hours later, and lands in Xi'an at 1.35 am the next day.

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Founded over 3,100 years ago, Xi'an is home to the famous Terracotta Warriors and numerous other historic sites. It was the capital of 13 dynasties in China. The new air route offers more convenient choices for tourists to Kuala Lumpur, Shaanxi, and picturesque Yunnan. It also serves as a bridge for economic and cultural exchanges.

This is the first international air route opened after Terminal 5 of the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport went into operation last Thursday.

Since November 2023, China has continuously adjusted and optimised its visa-free transit policy to boost openness and people-to-people exchanges. Last year, over 20.1 million foreign visitors entered China under the visa exemption policy, marking a year-on-year increase of 113.5 per cent in eligible transit visa-exemption travellers.  

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA