URUMQI, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A new air route linking Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, via the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, has been launched.

The maiden flight left Urumqi Diwopu International Airport on Monday morning, marking the first regular passenger service from Xinjiang to Kuala Lumpur, according to the airport.

The new route reduces the one-way travel time from Urumqi to Kuala Lumpur to eight hours, offering passengers a more diverse, convenient and efficient travel option, and further boosting cultural and people-to-people exchanges and economic ties between China and Malaysia, said the airport.

To date, Urumqi Diwopu International Airport has international passenger routes to 23 regions in 20 countries, including Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Xinjiang's tourism revenue jumped by 21 percent to over 359 billion yuan (about 50.05 billion U.S. dollars) last year with more than 300 million tourist visits received.

Since November 2023, China has continuously adjusted and optimized its visa-free transit policy to boost openness and people-to-people exchanges. Last year, over 20.1 million foreign visitors entered China under the visa exemption policy, marking a year-on-year increase of 113.5 percent in eligible transit visa-exemption travelers. Enditem

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