HAIKOU /China/, December 8. /TASS/. The city of Haikou in the southern Chinese province of Hainan has established regular flights with the Tibet Autonomous Region after opening a Haikou - Chengdu - Lhasa flight, the China News portal reported.

The new route’s first Tibetan Airlines plane, TV9852, departed from Meilan International Airport for Haikou on December 6. The launch of this route marks the establishment of direct flights between Haikou city and the administrative centers of all Chinese provinces. The new flight will promote the free trade port project in Hainan Province, as well as economic, tourism and cultural cooperation with China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to the portal.

Airbus A320 will be flying the Haikou-Lhasa route daily, with a stop in Chengdu (southwest Sichuan province).

At present, Meilan International Airport is linked with 123 cities, covering a route network with 236 unique destinations. In early December, a second terminal was opened at this key airport. By 2025, Meilan Airport plans to reach an annual passenger traffic of 35 million people, and cargo traffic should be up to 400,000 tons.