Two new airlines have been opened on Sunday and Monday, linking the Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent with Chinese cities of Shanghai and Shenzhen respectively.

On March 29, a new destination - Shenzhen - appeared for the first time on the arrival and departure boards at Tashkent airport. Passengers received warm greetings and congratulations at the check-in counters for the first flight, which directly connects the capital of Uzbekistan with one of China's largest cities. The opening of the route came in response to growing interest in travel between the two countries - from both tourists and businesses.

"Uzbekistan's airline, Uzbekistan Airways, is very pleased and honored to open a new route to China. This is Tashkent–Shenzhen–Tashkent. It is a logical continuation following Urumqi, Hangzhou, and Beijing, as demand for this destination is growing more and more, and the airline is increasing frequencies on these routes. We take into account the tourist interest and business interest in this direction. And from today, March 29, flights from Tashkent to Shenzhen, to this amazing and interesting city, begin," said Kizlarkhon Begmatova, a representative of the airline.

On March 30, Tashkent welcomed another new direct flight from Shanghai, operated by a Chinese airline.

Airline and airport representatives ceremonially launched the new route by cutting a symbolic ribbon and welcomed the first passengers. Flights on the Tashkent-Shanghai-Tashkent route will operate four times a week.

"This is already the second direct flight of our airline to Uzbekistan after the Xi'an route. In the future, we plan to open another route to Samarkand. The new flights make travel for businesspeople more convenient and for tourists more accessible. We hope that every passenger on our flights will feel as comfortable as possible," said Zhou Zhenchao, general manager of the China Eastern Airlines in Uzbekistan.

"Two years ago, during the state visit of our president to China, very important agreements and important understandings were reached, namely on increasing flights, introducing a visa-free regime, and increasing tourist flows between the two countries," said Feruz Dodiev, advisor to the Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan.

Since the beginning of the year, Uzbekistan has already received more than 49,000 tourists from China. Interest in the country continues to grow, and with the launch of new direct flights, a further increase in tourist flows is expected.