Air China’s southwest branch announced that it will launch a direct air route from Chengdu to Bangalore in India, which will be the first direct route to Bangalore from China.

It will take about five hours one way from Chengdu to Bangalore. Two flights are planned to leave Chengdu each week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, with return flights on Thursdays and Sundays.

Their main target for this route will be high-end business travelers. Currently there is no direct air route to Chian, Japan or South Korea from Bangalore; Air China will try to attract Northeast Asian travelers by using this air route.

It is said that Air China will also open a direct air route to Japan soon, and by 2015 plans to launch direct routes from southwest China to Europe and the USA.