A direct flight from south China's Guangzhou City arrived in Port Moresby of Papua New Guinea on Wednesday morning, marking the inauguration of the first regular commercial air route connecting the Chinese mainland and a Pacific island country.

Flight CZ5055, carrying over 130 passengers, took off from Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou on Tuesday night.
The whole flight took about seven hours, significantly shortening the travel time between the two countries.

"It used to take about 30 hours [to get there] with lots of layovers. It was very inconvenient," said a passenger.

"I'm going there to travel this time, and I've been there before. The direct flight brings us lots of convenience. The seafood there is worth the trip," one passenger said.

Papua New Guinea was the first Pacific island country to sign the memorandum of understanding and cooperation plan with China under the Belt and Road Initiative and has become China's largest trading partner in the region.

This October, both sides issued a joint statement agreeing to open the direct flight route.

According to China Southern Airlines, the operator of the route, round-trip service is scheduled once a week with outbound flights departing from Guangzhou on Wednesdays and return flights on Thursdays from Port Moresby.

"We are currently running the flights once a week. The air route filled a gap in the market, and built an air bridge for the construction of the BRI," said Xiao Yong, the Party branch Secretary of the marketing department of China Southern Airlines.