Xinjiang in China Launches First Direct Flight Route to Germany

Urumqi — A new service by China Southern Airlines connecting Guangzhou in southern China, Urumqi in northwestern China, and Frankfurt in Germany began operations on Monday (1/6). This marks the first direct international passenger flight route from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China to Germany.

The route establishes Urumqi, the regional capital, as a stopover point for intercontinental flight services operating twice weekly to Frankfurt. The flight duration from Urumqi to Frankfurt is approximately eight hours, according to the airline.

For passengers in Xinjiang travelling to Central Europe, the new service can reduce total travel time by more than 10 hours, as they previously often had to transit through cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou. The route is operated on Mondays and Fridays using Boeing 787-9 wide-body aircraft, with round trips providing nearly 600 seats per week, according to China Southern Airlines.

A China Southern Airlines official from the Xinjiang branch stated that the route will help expand trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges between China and Europe, particularly as China has introduced unilateral visa-free policies for German citizens. Xinjiang continues to expand its role as China’s gateway to the west. Currently, the region maintains 28 regular international passenger routes and 31 international cargo routes connecting it to Central Asia, West Asia, and Europe, according to the Xinjiang Airport Group.