Sichuan Airlines has announced that it is scheduled to launch its first air route to the United States on Oct. 17 to meet increasing passenger flow.

Planes will depart Chengdu for Hangzhou and then continue to Los Angeles on Mondays and Thursdays, the airline said. Return flights are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays.

The trip from Chengdu to Los Angeles takes 17 and a half hours, including a two-hour stop in Hangzhou. The return trip takes about 19 and a half hours.

Los Angeles, a major U.S. tourist destination, attracted a record high of 779,000 Chinese visitors in 2015, up 13 percent year on year.