LHASA - A new air route linking Shanghai, Xi'an and Shigatse, the second largest city in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, has opened.

The maiden flight by China Eastern Airlines departed from Shanghai at 8:20 am Sunday and arrived at Shigatse at 3:45 pm after a short stay in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

Flights will operate every Thursday and Sunday.

"Passengers can now fly directly to Shigatse without a transfer in Lhasa," said Ni Junnan, deputy Party chief of Shigatse.

Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet and is a popular tourist destination. In 2016, a total of 300,000 visitors arrived in Tibet from Shanghai.