HEFEI - A direct air route was launched on Monday morning between Moscow and Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui Province, according to Anhui Civil Aviation Airport Group.

The maiden flight landed in Hefei airport at 7:30 am on Monday at full capacity.

Operated by Russian Royal Flight with a 330-seat Boeing 767 aircraft, the route is scheduled to depart Moscow at 6 pm every Sunday and arrives in Hefei next day at 7 am local time. The outbound flight leaves Hefei at 9 am every Monday. The journey is about eight hours.

From Sheremetyevo International Airport, passengers can take connecting flights to other European cities on the same day.

It is the third air route linking Hefei with Moscow launched by Royal Flight, which will allow passengers to make transfers to any European city from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow.

The opening of the new air route is expected to promote trade and tourism between Anhui and Russia.