An Air China passenger plane receives a water cannon salute at Tashkent International Airport in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 22, 2025. (Air China/Handout via Xinhua)

TASHKENT, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese carrier Air China on Tuesday launched its first direct flight route between Urumqi and Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

The inaugural flight landed on Tuesday at Tashkent International Airport, where a ceremony was held.

Operated with Boeing 737 aircraft and under flight numbers CA779/80, the Urumqi-Tashkent flight runs every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

The new route will facilitate people-to-people exchanges and economic and trade interactions between the two countries, said Li Guangping, Air China's representative in Tashkent.

It will also help unlock the potential of bilateral cooperation and elevate connectivity between the two sides, said Li.

Kumrikhon Mamadhadzhaeva, a passenger from the Andijan region of Uzbekistan, boarded the flight to Urumqi for a one-week trip. She expressed great joy at the launch of the new route, hoping it would bring more convenience and benefits to the people of both countries and further strengthen China-Uzbekistan friendship.

On Saturday, Air China launched its first direct flight route between Beijing and Tashkent. Operated with Boeing 737 aircraft, the Beijing-Tashkent flight runs every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ■

A ceremony celebrating Air China's first direct flight route between Urumqi and Tashkent is held at Tashkent International Airport in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 22, 2025.

Chinese carrier Air China on Tuesday launched its first direct flight route between Urumqi and Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

The inaugural flight landed on Tuesday at Tashkent International Airport, where a ceremony was held.

Operated with Boeing 737 aircraft and under flight numbers CA779/80, the Urumqi-Tashkent flight runs every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua)