HAIKOU, July 21/.TASS/. Direct regular flights were launched between the city of Haikou, China's province of Hainan, and the city of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. According to the news outlet www.hinews.cn, the first airliner took off from the Hainan Meilan International Airport on July 15.

Flights will be operated by the Hainan Airlines aboard Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The two-hour flights will be conducted three times a week - on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Tickets can already be purchased through various platforms, apps and travel agencies.

Before the opening of the Haikou-Sihanoukville direction, direct flights connected the capital of Hainan in Cambodia only with Phnom Penh. In 2019, Hainan Airlines' jets began operating on five new international routes. These include flights to the Malaysian city of Kuching, Osaka (Japan), Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Mandalay in Myanmar.

The resort town of Sihanoukville is located in the southwestern part of Cambodia. Its white sandy beaches are very popular with tourists. It is also practically the only resort in the country, with the exception of Kep and several other islands. Sihanoukville cannot be considered as a very developed health resort, but the process of its construction is underway. Tourists coming to Sihanoukville especially appreciate the clear sea and privacy away from the busy city life.