Hong Kong Airlines launched a new route between Hong Kong and Urumqi on August 29.
The airline operates two round trips per week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, using Airbus A330 aircraft. Flight time is 4 hours and 40 minutes from Hong Kong and 3 hours and 15 minutes from Urumqi.
Commemorative ceremonies were held at both airports. At Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Airlines President Jeff Sun and Ricky Cheung, General Manager of Route Development at the Airport Authority Hong Kong, attended. At Urumqi Tianshan International Airport, the inaugural flight was welcomed with a water salute.
At the ceremony, President Jeff Sun said, “Hong Kong Airlines is committed to developing more new destinations and providing travelers with a wider range of travel options. This new service also aligns with China’s policy of expanding the Individual Visit Scheme for mainland Chinese residents traveling to Hong Kong and Macao. It will increase travel to Hong Kong from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and northwestern China, while also enabling more convenient connections via Hong Kong to popular destinations in Southeast Asia, Australia, and North America. By traveling via Urumqi, passengers can also easily access major cities in Central Asia. This is in line with the Hong Kong government’s policy of promoting close cooperation and exchanges between Hong Kong and Central Asia.”
Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China, is a core city of the Silk Road Economic Belt and an international commercial hub also known as the “center of Asia” on the Eurasian continent. In addition to its magnificent natural scenery, including the Tianshan Mountains and Heavenly Lake of Tianshan, the city offers a variety of tourist attractions such as the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar.
■Schedule
HX456 Hong Kong (18:35) – Urumqi (01:15+1) / Tuesday, Saturday
HX457 Urumqi (02:15) – Hong Kong (07:30) / Wednesday, Sunday
