URUMQI - A direct flight will connect Shache county in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the regional capital, Urumqi, starting Aug. 1, authorities said Tuesday.

The flight, coded CZ6875/CZ6876, departs Urumqi at noon and arrives in Shache at 1:50 p.m. every day. The return flight leaves Shache at 2:40 p.m. and arrives in Urumqi at 4:25 p.m., according to the regional branch of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The flight will be operated by China Southern Airlines.

Shache is in southwestern Xinjiang and is under the jurisdiction of Kashgar Prefecture. Previously, Urumqi-bound Shache passengers had to drive three hours to the city of Kashgar before flying to Urumqi by plane. The direct flight helps slash travel time by at least three hours.

Construction of the airport started in 2015. Annual passenger volume at the airport is expected to reach 200,000 by 2020.