Guangzhou to Chongqing flights begin

A China Southern Airlines plane bound for the Wulong district of Chongqing municipality, took off from Guangzhou's Baiyun International Airport on Wednesday morning, officially launching round-trip service.

The maiden flight, which carried more than 150 passengers, landed at Xiannyvshan airport at about 1:10 pm on Wednesday after taking off at 10:50 am.

The round-trip between Guangzhou and Wulong will operate three times a week — on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — according to a statement from China Southern Airlines.

The round-trip flight has helped build an air bridge linking Guangdong, the southern gateway of the country, to China's vast inland area, further advancing economic ties between cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and cities in central and western areas of China, the statement said. The flights will help boost tourism cooperation and exchanges between Guangdong and Chongqing.

Wulong, which has rich tourism resources, has now become a major tourist attraction in China, annually logging more than 40 million tourist visits.

Guangdong has become the largest source of tourists to Chongqing, the statement said.

A passenger surnamed Li said he was excited and happy to take the inaugural flight to Wulong, then spend the holiday with family members.

"The direct flight provides many conveniences for tourists," he said.

China Southern Airlines, which is headquartered in Guangdong province, is one of China's three major airlines. It launched round-trip flights to Tianfu in Chengdu, Sichuan province, this year to further expand cooperation in tourism between Guangdong, Sichuan and Chongqing.