GUANGZHOU, June 4 (Xinhua) -- China Southern Airlines (China Southern) will launch a new air route connecting Guangzhou, Urumqi and Vienna on June 18, according to the airline Tuesday.

The new route will link the capitals of Guangdong Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, respectively in southern and northwestern China, with the Austrian capital, said China Southern.

It is also the first direct air route which will link Xinjiang with the heart of Europe, significantly cutting travel time for passengers flying from Xinjiang to Europe.

Flight services of the route will be offered on each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from June 18, taking around seven hours.

Besides linking three aviation hubs, the new route will also play a role in boosting air connectivity of the Belt and Road and the heart of Europe.

Headquartered in Guangzhou, China Southern has a fleet of 840 aircraft, the largest in Asia and third worldwide. In 2018, it served 139 million air passengers.

This flight season, it provides more than 160 international routes to more than 70 destinations worldwide.