CHENGDU, Nov. 24 -- A direct air route linking Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, and Los Angeles resumed on Friday, according to Sichuan Airlines, the flight's operator.

An Airbus A-350 airliner carrying about 200 passengers took off from the Chengdu Tianfu International Airport at around 9 p.m. (Beijing Time), marking the resumption of the first direct passenger flight between the western region of China and the United States after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The flight service on the route is scheduled every Tuesday and Friday.

So far, the airport in Chengdu has opened a total of 51 air routes linking with overseas airports, including 43 passenger routes and eight cargo routes.