People dine at a stall in a night market selling street food in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Feb. 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo)

A new international air route linking Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, and Ulan Bator, capital city of Mongolia, was launched Tuesday.

It is the first regular direct flight from Changsha to Mongolia. It runs once a week, operated by an E190 aircraft by Mongolia's Hunnu Air.

The inbound trip departs from Ulan Bator at 9:40 p.m. (Beijing Time) every Saturday and arrives in Changsha at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. The outbound trip departs from Changsha at 1:55 a.m. on Sunday and arrives in Ulan Bator at 5:30 a.m. the same day.

The air route is also the first direct air route connecting central China and Mongolia, which will bring new opportunities for Hunan to participate in Belt and Road collaboration, said Hunan Airport.