Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Chinese airline Loong Air launched flights from Xi’an (China) to Samarkand for the first time. The first flight was carried out on 16 June.

The plane from Xi’an landed at Samarkand International Airport at 12:08 local time. According to tradition, the plane was greeted with a water arch, and passengers, the airline delegation, tour operators and representatives of the Chinese media were greeted to the sounds of karnay and surnay, in the best traditions of the Uzbek people.

At the Samarkand airport terminal, a thematic photo zone was installed for arriving passengers and guests, a tea ceremony in the Uzbek style with national treats was organized, as well as an area for calligraphic inscriptions in Farsi made on Samarkand mulberry paper.

Flights on this route will be operated twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, on comfortable Airbus 320 aircraft.