Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, is to launch a direct flight to Chicago at the end of October, giving the airport its first service to the United States.

The flight will be operated by China Eastern Airlines using a Boeing 777-300ER which will have a maximum capacity of 322 passengers.

The service is scheduled to operate on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday every week, with a return flight departing each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Taiyuan Wusu International Airport connects Shanxi province to the wider world.

The airport handled 12.4 million passengers in 2017, surpassing 10 million for the first time.

However, at present the airport only has international services to Thailand, Japan and Vietnam –– all served by irregular charter flights.

With the launch of the new Chicago service, local residents will no longer have to transfer to international flights in Shanghai to travel to the United States, providing more convenience for travelers.