Heilongjiang airline set to take off

Longjiang Airlines Co Ltd, the first local airline in Heilongjiang province in northeastern China, is set to launch its first flight from Harbin to Zhuhai, Guangdong province, on Friday, with a stopover in Hefei, Anhui province.

The airline will offer cheaper tickets for the Harbin-Zhuhai route to promote the flight this month. With its hub in Harbin, the airline plans to start more domestic flights to cities including Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Haikou, Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.

In the next few years, Longjiang Airlines also plans to start international flights to the Far East area of Russia, to further expand tourism and freight transport between China and Russia. In addition, it has plans to launch direct flights to Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States.

"We are bullish on the growth potential of the route, as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge is about to open, and it takes only 40 minutes to drive from Zhuhai to Hong Kong," said Liang Fuhua, CEO of Longjiang Airlines.

Founded in 2014, the private airline has two single-aisle A321 and one A320 aircraft. By the end of the year, the airline plans to acquire six more aircraft, and by 2020, it plans to own 25 jets.

Longjiang Airlines is expected to create more jobs in Heilongjiang province, especially in sectors such as commerce, hotels, catering, transportation and tourism, the company said.

"Harbin airport has seen an increasingly higher throughput in recent years, and Longjiang Airlines has significant growth potential.