New international flights to Sydney and St. Petersburg started operating out of Taiyuan Wusu International Airport, on Oct 30 and 31.

The new Australia service represents the first direct flight from Taiyuan airport to Sydney, according to Li Jianhong, director of the aviation marketing department at Shanxi Aviation Industry Group.

Operated by Hainan Airlines, the Taiyuan-Haikou-Sydney service is flown using an A330 aircraft, and is scheduled to fly on Tuesday and Thursday every week. The flight, which will make a stop in Haikou, Hainan province, will take 15 hours and 40 minutes. The return flight will last 9 hours and 35 minutes.

The flight to St. Petersburg is operated by Sichuan Airlines using an A330 aircraft. The service is scheduled to run twice a week.

Taiyuan-Pudong-Chicago flights operated by China Eastern Airlines are expected to be launched at the beginning of 2019.

"The three intercontinental air routes have enhanced the accessibility and connectivity of international air services in Shanxi province, and will further boost travel and trade between Shanxi and Europe, the United States and Australia," said Li.

By the end of September, airports administrated by Shanxi Aviation Industry Group had handled 115,000 flights, 13.89 million passengers and 45,777.3 tons of cargo, representing year-on-year growth of 15.6 percent, 19.31 percent and 16.01 percent respectively. Airlines operating from Taiyuan Wusu International Airport now offer a total of 131 air routes to 76 cities.

Staff members of Taiyuan Wusu International Airport and Hainan Airlines mark the launch of the Taiyuan-Haikou-Sydney flight at the airport, on Oct 30. [Photo/sxrb.com]

Passengers board the A330 aircraft to Sydney at Taiyuan Wusu International Airport, Oct 30. [Photo/sxrb.com]