China's Hainan Airlines has announced that it's to launch a direct air route connecting Beijing and Prague, the Czech Republic's capital this September.
Chen Ming is the vice president of Hainan Airlines Group.
"Hainan Airlines will officially open a Beijing-Prague direct air route on September 23. The service will run three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We'll use a Boeing 767, which has two-cabin layouts, a larger space and provides a more satisfied traveling experience for passengers."
The flight time between the two countries now only takes 13 hours, down from 16 thanks to the new route.
Libor Secka, Czech Ambassador to China, says the new air route is the first bilateral "One Belt, One Road" initiative that is expected to be a bridge between the two countries.
"We expect that the direct flight will contribute to and help the growth of our business. It will help our people to know each other more. And of course it will also help us have more tourist exchanges."
Statistics show about 250-thousand Chinese tourists visited the Czech Republic last year, with a year-on-year growth of 22 percent.
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