An air route linking Wuhan and San Francisco in the US opened on Friday as a part of the Central China city's efforts to become the fourth-biggest air transport hub after Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

"The launch of the route will attract more passengers to take flights from Wuhan," said Zhu Xueqing, deputy head of Hubei Airports Group Company.

The route brings the total number of Wuhan's international air routes up to 22. The city will also launch other international flights, including those to Sydney, Dubai, Bangkok and Seoul in 2013, Zhu added.