Hainan Airlines, the fourth largest carrier in China, launched a route from Changsha, Hunan province, to Los Angeles on Thursday, which is the first direct route from the second-tier city to the US.

The carrier runs two flights weekly on the route using Boeing 787 aircraft.

The average load factor on the flights before March will be around 95 percent, as the market demand is huge in the city, said Mu Weigang, vice chairman of Hainan Airlines.

By the end of 2015, Changsha Huanghua International Airport transported 1.54 million person-trips to international and regional destinations, with a 36.9 percent year-on-year rise.