Han Ximin, Yang Tao

ximhan@126.com

SHENZHEN Airlines will open a route between Shenzhen and Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 2 as it continues to intensify its Southeast Asian network.

The flight will operate every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. It departs from Shenzhen at 9:15 p.m. and arrives at the Manila airport at 11:30 p.m.

The return flight leaves at 12:30 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and arrives in Shenzhen at 2:50 a.m.

The operator has started selling tickets for the flight, and during the promotional period a round-trip ticket costs 200 yuan (US$29.39) excluding taxes and fees.

August is a peak tourism season for families and college students, and Southeast Asian countries are the most popular destinations for Shenzhen travelers seeking low-cost, short trips with convenient visas.

Shenzhen Airlines has opened international routes from Shenzhen, Beijing, Wuxi and Nantong to Southeast Asian countries, South Korea and Japan. It also has plans to open intercontinental routes by introducing wide-bodied commercial aircraft in September.