Alaska could get its first direct air link with China next year.
The office of Alaska Governor Bill Walker announced a tie up with Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province to bring year-round direct flights connecting Anchorage and the city of Harbin.
Harbin is a major tourist destination noted for its ice sculpture festival and Russian architecture.
Walker and Heilongjiang Province Governor Wang Wentao said discussions with a shortlist of airlines are taking place to launch flights from next summer.
Harbin Airport is also a growing hub with connections to Beijing, Shanghai and other Asian cities.
At six-and-a-half-hours’ flight time, it would be the shortest route connecting the US and China.
"Direct flights will create an economic boost to communities across our state akin to the cruise industry’s impact on Coastal and Interior Alaska," Walker said.
