Air China, one of China's leading carriers, is scheduled to launch a direct flight between Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, and Paris, according to an announcement by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The announcement says Air China applied to open the Chengdu-Paris direct route in October this year, using airbus A330-200 to fly the route four times a week both sides.

A one-way journey between the two cities will be shortened to about 10 hours, saving at least 10 hours than taking a connecting flight.

As a hub of western China, Chengdu already has four direct routes to Europe, linking it to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Moscow. The city is the fourth-largest air hub in China, with 83 international routes.