China's Xinjiang launches direct flight route to Hong Kong

A new direct flight route connecting Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been officially launched on Monday.

The air service is scheduled to depart the Kashgar Laining International Airport at 07:55 every Monday and arrive in Hong Kong at 13:50, according to the flight operator, China Southern Airlines, adding the new air route is an opportunity to facilitate the travel of residents and businessmen between the two regions.

Liu Shengzhe, a traveler, praised that the nonstop flight is super convenient and very fast.

"The direct air route is pretty good and can save us a lot of time. Because Hong Kong is far away from Kashgar, some of my classmates who left earlier might have needed to make an overnight stop in other cities during their transfer, which made them very tired," he explained.

To ensure the smooth launch and sound operation of the new route, Kashgar Customs together with the airport, airlines and other departments, make full use of information technology and equipment and continuously optimize the customs clearance operation process for passengers.

"The opening of the route has established a more convenient and efficient communication channel between Kashgar and Hong Kong plus strengthened the connection between Kashgar and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," said Zhang Xiaojing, a staff member of Kashgar Customs.

China's Xinjiang launches direct flight route to Hong Kong

The east route of the China-Europe freight train service, which includes three ports in northeast China, handled 5.1 percent more train trips in the first half of 2024, according to data released by the China Railway Harbin Bureau Group.

Statistics showed that the three ports -- the Manzhouli Port in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the Suifenhe and Tongjiang ports in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province -- witnessed the passage of 2,899 trains during the first six months of this year, up 5.1 percent year on year.

Meanwhile, some 304,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods were transported during the period, up 3.4 percent compared to the same period of last year.

The east route extends to reach 14 countries in Europe and links with more than 60 domestic cities.

Comprising 26 lines, the east route has become vital for the transport of 12 major categories of cargo, including electrical products and daily necessities among others.

5.1 pct more China-Europe freight trains pass through northeast China’s ports in H1