Sun Haiying, Han Ximin, Yu Wei, Ou Li

    ximhan@126.com

    A DIRECT flight from Shenzhen to Jakarta will officially launch Wednesday, China Southern Airlines Shenzhen Company said.

    The flight CZ8353 flies every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It departs from Shenzhen at 7:45 p.m. and arrives in Jakarta at 11:20 p.m. (Jakarta time is one hour behind Shenzhen). The return flight CZ8354 leaves at 00:20 a.m. and arrives in Shenzhen at 6:10 a.m. (local time).

    For the first week, tickets for a round-trip flight from Shenzhen to Jakarta will cost 1,150 yuan (US$172) (taxes excluded).

    The operation of the Jakarta route brings the total number of international routes operated by the company in Shenzhen to 11. It marked another step in the company’s international strategy and efforts to push Shenzhen’s internationalization.

    The opening of the route, which takes about five hours, will greatly promote economic and cultural exchanges between Shenzhen and Jakarta.

    Jakarta is the capital and most populous city of Indonesia and the country’s economic, cultural and political center. It is also the largest economy among ASEAN countries.

    Prior to opening the direct flight, travelers from Shenzhen needed to transfer at Singapore Airport or other airports before flying to Jakarta. The opening of a direct flight will promote tourism and trade between Shenzhen and Indonesia.

    The GDP of Jakarta accounts for 28.7 percent of the country’s total. This November, Indonesia International Communication IT and Consumer Electronics Fair will be held in Jakarta, attracting industrial leaders from all over Asia.

    Statistics showed that passenger turnover at Shenzhen airport reached 20.35 million in the first half of the year, registering a year-on-year increase of 4.7 percent. The number of international passengers reached 1 million between Jan.-June, a 33.9 percent year-on-year increase.

    In the first half of the year, Shenzhen airport opened five international routes, bringing the total international routes to 16. Among the 16 are routes to Osaka, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Bangkok, Singapore, Bali Island, Phuket, Ibaraki, Ho Chi-Minh, Jeju Island, Tokyo, Dubai, Sydney, Los Angeles and Frankfurt, 10 of them are operated by China Southern Airlines, accounting for 70 percent of the total.