Passengers processes the check-in for the first flight of the new line. (Provided by China Southern Airlines)

On June 12th, China Southern Airlines, the largest carrier in China, launched its first Guangzhou-Changsha-Nairobi route, which was the newest line linking China and Africa before the first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo.

The first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo will be held in Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, from June 27th to 29th. The expo, launched under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, will establish a new mechanism for economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries.

The air route operates twice a week using an Airbus 330, according to the airline. The departing flight runs every Tuesday and Saturday. The flight departs Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 21:35, and arrives in Changsha at 22:55. Then the fight will depart Changsha at 0:50 next day and land in Nairobi at 7:30 (local time).

The returning flight runs every Wednesday and Sunday. The flight leaves Nairobi at 12:50 and arrives in Changsha at 6:05 (local time) next day, and then departs Changsha at 8:10 and arrives in Guangzhou at 9:45.

This new flight enables domestic passengers to travel to Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, Dar-es-Salaam, Lusaka, Lagos and many other main African cities via Nairobi, while international passengers to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi’an and other main Chinese cities via Changsha or Guangzhou.

This is China Southern’s second route linking China and Africa. Last year the carrier launched a direct flight between Guangzhou and Nairobi.

During the past years, after witnessing tremendously-soaring market demands, China Southern has rapidly expanded its flights to destinations in B&R regions and gradually established a complete network covering main cities in Southeast Asia, Middle Asia, Africa and other key areas along B&R Initiative.

Reported by Nan

Edited by Olivia