Guyuan's new flight path brings Fujian and Ningxia closer

The staff celebrate the launch of the new Quanzhou-Wuhan-Guyuan route. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A new round-trip route connecting Quanzhou, Wuhan, and Guyuan launched on June 11 with the touchdown of Xiamen Airlines flight MF8291 at Guyuan Liupanshan Airport in Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

Xiamen Airlines flight MF8291 receives a water cannon salute. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The route, which operates every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, departs from Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport at 7 am, stops in Wuhan, and arrives at Guyuan airport at 12:10 pm. The return flight departs from Guyuan at 12:55 pm, stops in Wuhan, and lands in Quanzhou at 5:35 pm.

The inaugural flight saw a relatively high passenger count, with many tourists and businesspeople traveling specifically from Fujian to Guyuan. This marks the third route launched by Xiamen Airlines at Guyuan airport, with the airline soon set to establish a branch in Ningxia as its first in Northwest China.

Passengers arrive at Guyuan Liupanshan Airport on Xiamen Airlines. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"We have been waiting for this flight for over 10 years,” said Pan Wenxian, a Quanzhou native who has been running a business in Guyuan for many years. "In the past, returning to Quanzhou required a transfer in Xi'an or Yinchuan and took as long as 12 hours. Now, we can depart in the morning and arrive in Guyuan by noon."

Following the Fuzhou route, Guyuan now has daily flights to Fujian, with this new route helping boost business exchanges, project coordination, and product trade, opening up fresh opportunities for regional cooperation.