FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown
1. Various of plane taking off

Beijing, China - April 27, 2017
2. Officials at ceremony of launching new flights
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Luo Yong, general manager, marketing department, Air China:
"China and Switzerland, over these years, have developed a strategic partnership of cooperation. And 2017 marks the Tourism Year between the two nations. With the new route available, we will provide flight service from Beijing to Switzerland on a daily basis."
4. Officials at new flights launching ceremony
5. Route

FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown
6. Various of plane taxiing

China will open more direct flights to the regions along the Belt and Road Initiative soon, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Air China, one of the country’s largest airlines, held a ceremony to launch direct routes from Beijing to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, and to the Swiss city Zurich on Thursday. The former will open on June 1, and the latter June 7.

The new direct flight service between China and Switzerland will help promote bilateral tourism exchanges.

"China and Switzerland, over these years, have developed a strategic partnership of cooperation. And 2017 marks the Tourism Year between the two nations. With the new route available, we will provide flight service from Beijing to Switzerland on a daily basis," said Luo Yong, general manager of the marketing department with Air China.

By far, China has already opened flights with 43 of the countries along the Belt and Road, and flies about 4,200 flights every week. Travelers can take direct flights from Beijing to European cities like Minsk, Budapest, Warsaw and Asian ones including Kuala Lumpur, Bombay, Colombo and Islamabad.