Direct passenger flight links east China's Xiamen with Dili in Timor-Leste

XIAMEN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Flight 8G881, from Timor-Leste's capital Dili, landed in Xiamen at 10:40 p.m. local time on Friday, marking the official opening of the first direct passenger flight route between China and Timor-Leste.

Passenger routes between the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen and Dili will be operated by Dili Air, with two round-trip flights per month during the trial operation period from February to April this year. The one-way flight duration is about 5.5 hours.

Starting May, there will be a weekly round-trip flight connecting the two destinations.

Previously, Chinese passengers traveling to Timor-Leste tended to select transit travel via Indonesia or Singapore. This option took 10 hours or more, and sometimes as much as two days.

Experts believe the opening of this direct passenger air route will boost economic and trade exchanges, as well as tourism ties, between the two cities.