Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), now has a direct flight connecting the UAE capital Abu Dhabi and China's southern city of Guangzhou.

Flight EY868 departed Abu Dhabi International Airport on Monday night and landed at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on Tuesday morning local time.

The new twice-weekly service will be operated via a two-class Boeing 777.

Tony Douglas, Group CEO of Etihad Aviation Group, said in a statement that Guangzhou is "the latest destination to be opened in China by Etihad since the launch of the Abu Dhabi-Shanghai route back in 2012."

"It will continue to help build a solid air bridge for commerce and cultural exchanges between China and the UAE," he added.