Direct flights between northwest China's Xi'an in Shaanxi province and Milan in Italy will be launched by China Eastern Airlines starting September, the Shanghai-based carrier said on Monday.

The Xi'an-Milan flight will be operated every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday between Xi'an Xianyang International Airport and Milan Malpensa Airport, with one-way trip to Milan taking about 10 hours and 50 minutes, said China Eastern.

The new flight will be the third route launched by China Eastern between Xi'an and European cities. Tickets are available for purchase at the official website of China Eastern as well as via the app of the airliner.

Milan, a world famous city for its history, culture, fashion and art, is one of the four major economic centers of Europe, as well as the second-biggest city of Italy. While Xi'an, the ancient capital of 13 Chinese dynasties, is known for both its rich history and unique culture of nowadays.

The year of 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of China and Italy establishing comprehensive strategic partnership. China announced to waive visa requirements for Italian visitors, and the visa-free policy to Italy will be effective until December 31, 2025. Ordinary passport holders from the country can enjoy visa-free travel to China for 15 days.

China Eastern will operate four routes between China and Italy by the end of September, namely Shanghai-Rome, Wenzhou (in Zhejiang province)-Rome, Shanghai Venice and Xi'an-Milan, according to the carrier.