Air China is scheduled to begin a direct service between Chengdu and Colombo in February, the airline stated in a release on Wednesday.

An Airbus A330 will fly the Chengdu-Colombo route each Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. A one-way journey between Chengdu and Colombo will take about five-and-a-half hours, the release stated.

Passenger flow between southwest China and Sri Lanka has grown rapidly in recent years amid increasing trade and economic activity. China is now the third-largest trade partner for Sri Lanka, which opened a consulate in Chengdu in late 2009.

Meanwhile, more Chinese tourists are visiting the island.

According to statistics from the Sri Lanka Tourism Board, the country had received a total of 106,800 Chinese tourists in the first ten months of this year, up 139% year on year, Want China