Direct flight to link Chengdu, Prague

CHENGDU, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's Sichuan Airlines said it would launch direct flights between Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, and the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu in February.

The company said it would offer two round-trip flights each week via Airbus A330 aircraft between Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, and Prague. A single trip will take about nine hours, it said.

It will be the first direct air route linking the two cities and the sixth connecting Chengdu and Europe. Currently passengers from Chengdu have to transfer via Amsterdam or Beijing to reach Prague.

Chengdu has intensified efforts to boost traveling overseas, with 19 flights now taking passengers to Europe every week. Sichuan Airlines is also planning to launch direct flights from Chengdu to Tokyo, Osaka and Singapore later this month.