Jazeera Airways has announced its first route to China with the launch of direct flights to Xian. The airline will be operating the new route starting 19 September, initially with a flight every fortnight, moving to a weekly service later.

The flights, operated by an A320neo aircraft, will include a technical stop in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for refuelling. Xian is Western China’s third largest city with a population of over 12 million people.

“This a real milestone for Jazeera to be flying all the way to China. Commercial ties between Kuwait and China have been growing and we see a positive outlook for developing our network further into the region,” said CEO Rohit Ramachandran.

The expansion into China comes shortly after the Kuwaiti low-cost carrier upgraded to daily frequencies for flights to Gautam Buddha International Airport, the second international hub in Nepal. Before 16 September, Jazeera Airways was flying on a thrice-weekly schedule and operated more than 100 flights between the two countries since the inauguration of the Nepalese airport.