Air China will launch direct flights from Chengdu to Sri Lankan capital Colombo in February, the airline has announced.
Starting on February 10 it will operate four weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays using Airbus A330 aircraft.
"This is the first service from Chengdu to a Sri Lankan city, marking an important step towards the construction of the flag carrier’s Chengdu hub," the airline said.
Chengdu is a major air hub in southwest China linking 187 cities including 78 international routes.
Sri Lanka is a growing destination for Chinese tourists, having increased rapidly in the last two years.
Sri Lanka estimates it received 1.3 million arrivals in 2014 and the government has set a target of attracting 2.5 million tourists by 2016.
