Photo taken on May 29, 2024 shows a celebration for the resumption of Hainan Airlines' operations in Austria in Vienna, Austria. (Xinhua/He Canling)

A direct air route linking south China's tech hub Shenzhen and the Austrian capital Vienna has been resumed, Hainan Airlines, the flight's operator, said on Friday.

The first flight on the route took off from Shenzhen Baoan International Airport early Wednesday morning (local time) and arrived at Vienna International Airport at 7:55 a.m. (local time) on the same day, marking the resumption of Hainan Airlines's operations in Austria after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flughafen Wien, operator of Vienna International Airport, held a grand welcome ceremony for the flight at the airport. The flight service on the route is scheduled every Wednesday and Saturday.

Noting that Austria is a key transport hub connecting Eastern and Western Europe, Hainan Airlines said in a press release that the resumption of its Vienna-Shenzhen flight will provide more options for people traveling between China and Europe and help promote the China-Austria friendly strategic partnership to a higher level.

So far, Hainan Airlines has launched direct flights linking Shenzhen with major overseas cities such as Vancouver, Paris, Rome, Milan and Brussels.