China Southern Airlines Company has officially launched direct flights on the Beijing to Tashkent route, in a bid to meet the increasing demand for air travel between the China and Uzbekistan.

The route, which is the first to operated by a Chinese carrier between the two countries, will be operated twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, using Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Outbound flights to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, depart Beijing at 16:20 and arrive at 19:35 local time. Return flights from Tashkent leave at 20:55 local time, and arrive in Beijing at 05:50 the following day.

The airline says it provides passengers with 100 classic movies and 1,000 songs for their entertainment during the flight. It also serves a variety of halal food to cater for muslim travelers.

Tashkent is the largest city in Central Asia.