Russia’s Ural Airlines held a press conference in the city of Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, on Dec 23, to announce a direct air link between the city and the city of Chita in Russia’s Far East, which will have its maiden flight on Dec 26.

This is Ural Airlines‘ seventh international flight from Harbin’s Taiping International Airport, and makes Chita the 10th Russian city with a Harbin-connection, the others being Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok, Yakutsk, Novosibirsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Khabarovsk, Irkutsk, and Krasnoyarsk all in the Far East, as well as the capital, Moscow.

The route will use an Airbus A320 for Saturday flights, taking off at 11:55 am and arriving Chita at 1:20 pm, then departing Chita at 4:00 pm and arriving Harbin at 5:55 pm. It is expected to boost trade and exchanges between the two countries and help China’s Belt and Road program.

Chita is an administrative center for Zabaykalsky Krai, and an economic, cultural and industrial center, as well as an important stop on the Trans - Siberian Railway.