Sichuan Airlines to fly between Chengdu and Melbourne

Sichuan Airlines will offer direct flights between the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu and Melbourne of Australia starting from Feb. 28.

It will be the first non-stop flights connecting western China with Australia, the airline said in a statement on Monday.

The air carrier is scheduled to fly on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. A one-way trip is about 4,800 nautical miles and takes about 10 and a half hours, it said.

The airline estimates it will carry more than 70,000 passengers between the two cities annually as Australia witnesses a tourism boom from Chinese travelers.

China has overtaken the UK to become Australia's second biggest market in tourism behind New Zealand, according to a Tourism Research Australia survey released in December.