On the Silk Road: Belavia opens direct flights to China

On December 16, Belavia Airlines operates the first scheduled flight on the Minsk-Urumqi-Minsk route.

Urumqi is the trade, economic and cultural center of northwest China and the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is located at the intersection of important transport routes, including the modern route of the Belt and Road Initiative*, which makes it a key transport hub between China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe.

"China remains one of the main strategic partners of Belarus. And, of course, direct flights between Minsk and Urumqi will open up new opportunities for the development of relations between the countries," said Igor Tcherginets, General Director of JSC Belavia Airlines. – The choice in favor of Urumqi has not been made by chance. Today it is a megacity with a population of more than 4 million people with an actively developing business in the field of trade and tourism, as well as a rich history. In addition, as part of the strategic initiative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, it is planned to organize a large international air transport hub at Urumqi Airport, China's gateway to the West as part of the Silk Road project, which will open up additional transfer opportunities for our passengers.

According to Igor Tcherginets, the airline expects that the new flight will be particularly popular among foreign students from China studying in our country, as well as tourists from China.

"Of course, we expect to see on our flight representatives of the business of the two countries and our compatriots who have fallen in love with the Asian destination as a place to relax," said the General Director of Belavia.

Features of the direction:

• Urumqi is a megalopolis surrounded by picturesque mountains and deserts, and nearby is Lake Tianchi - the "pearl" of the Heavenly Mountains and a popular tourist location.
• Due to its geographical location, the region is famous for its rich cultural heritage, where Uighur, Kazakh and Chinese cultures intersect.
• Citizens of the Republic of Belarus do not need a visa to visit China, under such conditions they can stay in the country for up to 30 days during one trip and no more than 90 days in a calendar year. Detailed information can be found on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Minsk.
• Urumqi Divopu International Airport (URC) annually transports about 15 million passengers and is located just 16 km from the business center of the city. You can get from the airport to Urumqi by taxi or direct bus.

Passengers will be able to travel to this destination once a week with departures from Minsk and Urumqi on Mondays.

Schedule:

• Departure from Minsk – at 11:10, arrival in Urumqi – at 22:10, flight time – 6 hours.
• The return flight from Urumqi is scheduled at 23:20, passengers will land in Minsk at 01:00 (the next day), the flight time is 6 hours and 40 minutes.

The time for all airports is indicated locally.

The cost of a one–way flight starts from 222 euros, a round-trip - 341 euros. Tickets can be purchased on the airline's website, at ticket sales offices and at agents.

*The Belt and Road Initiative is a global economic strategy proposed by China in 2013 to develop infrastructure and trade routes and strengthen trade ties between Asian, European and African countries.