On Oct 16, China Southern Airlines will open a new direct flight linking Beijing to Doha, the capital of Qatar, adding to the air route network between China and the Middle East.

The new Beijing-Doha air route is the airline's second direct flight between the mainland and Qatar. Han Wensheng, president and CEO of China Southern Airlines, described Beijing Daxing International Airport as a cornerstone of the company's internationalization strategy.

"The launch of the Beijing-Doha air route will further strengthen its hub function and form a synergistic effect with the Guangzhou hub in Guangdong province," he said. "In partnership with Qatar Airways, we are expanding opportunities for Chinese passengers to reach destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas through Doha. This showcases China Southern's efforts in optimizing its global network to serve the Belt and Road Initiative."

The new direct flights will operate every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Flight CZ8059 will depart Beijing Daxing International Airport at 12:35 am and land at Hamad International Airport at 5:15 am, local time. The return flight, CZ8060, will depart Doha at 8:30 am and arrive at the Chinese capital at 9:40 am, local time.

According to Han, the two airlines plan to continue to cooperate in cargo transportation and frequent flyer programs to build a more robust global route service network and create greater value for passengers.

Thierry Antinori, chief commercial officer of Qatar Airways, said, "We warmly welcome the launch of direct flights from Beijing Daxing to Doha, as it will further improve the connectivity between the two countries."

"The latest expansion ensures that every Qatar Airways route to China is now accessible to China Southern customers, underlining our long-term commitment to a market that is core to our strategy," he added.