It only takes six hours to reach the “Beautiful Ranch” – China Airlines launches Urumqi route

Reported by You T-Ru / Taipei




China Airlines launches flights to the “beautiful ranch” – Urumqi. (Photo / Provided by the operator)

China Airlines’ maiden flight between Taoyuan and Urumqi takes approximately six hours, making it currently the longest cross-strait route in terms of flight duration. China Airlines operates three weekly round-trip flights on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays using an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, offering 30 business class seats and 277 economy class seats. Additionally, tomorrow (26th), China Airlines will launch a new route between Taoyuan and Lijiang, operating three weekly round-trip flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays using a Boeing B737-800 aircraft. The flight duration is 3 hours and 45 minutes, with 8 business class seats and 150 economy class seats available.

Urumqi, known as the “beautiful ranch,” is located in central Xinjiang and serves as a transportation hub connecting Central Asia and inland Europe. Its unique geographical location gives the city’s architecture a distinctive and exotic flair, as well as a strong reflection of Uyghur architectural artistry. Lijiang, situated in northwestern Yunnan, features diverse landscapes and abundant natural resources. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, and the beautiful misty rains of spring and summer make the ancient town of Lijiang even more alluring.

To align with local customs and practices, China Airlines offers in-flight meals on its Urumqi routes that are prepared according to halal meal service procedures. On the inaugural outbound flight to Urumqi, the airline also served the Xinjiang dessert “sour yogurt” as a celebratory gesture. For the inaugural Lijiang flight, special Yunnan snacks — “Yunnan rice noodles” — were offered on the outbound journey, allowing passengers to immediately experience the distinctive local flavors while flying with China Airlines.