Direct flight to link Wuhan with San Francisco

China Southern Airlines is expected to launch a regular direct air route between Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, and San Francisco on Dec. 16.

The 12-hour one-way trip will be conducted by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 228 seats. It is scheduled to depart every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Wuhan, the Hubei branch of China Southern said on Thursday.

The new route is the first direct route linking a central China city with the west coast of the United States.

Silicon Valley and Optical Valley, a photoelectron industry base in Wuhan, have seen active exchanges, and the new flight will boost travels between the two cities, according to Joseph Zadrozny, the U.S. Consul General in Wuhan.