Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi province, opened an air route to Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, on May 18.
It marked the 16th international passenger flight route currently in service in Xi’an. Today, a total of 11 flights flying each week between Xi’an and Central Asian destinations.
At present, Xi’an becomes the only Chinese city that has opened air routes to all the five Central Asian countries.
According to Zhang Xuan, general manager of the marketing department of the Xi’an Xianyang International Airport, the airport will resume and open 30 air routes in each of the next three years to destinations including Central Asia, West Asia, and even Central and Eastern Europe, to facilitate the tourism, business and trade exchanges.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). From camel caravans in ancient times to express trains and international flights, the transport evolution has significantly shortened the distance between Xi’an and Central Asia.
