According to China Southern Airlines Hubei Branch, within this year China Southern Airlines will open three new direct international flights: Guangzhou - Wuhan - Rome route, Guangzhou - Wuhan - Dubai route and Wuhan - Tokyo route. Yichang citizens can take free Yichang - Wuhan bullet train if they buy air-rail tickets of international flights originated in Wuhan.

China Southern Airlines will open Guangzhou - Wuhan - Rome route in the end of this year. The airplane on this route is airbus A330 aircraft. Every week has three round-trip flights. Airborne hours are 11 hours. Previously, a favorable turn in Shanghai or Beijing was needed in flights from Wuhan to Rome which would cost above 30 hours and a turn in Hong Kong would cost about 20 hours.

The Guangzhou - Wuhan - Dubai route will be opened in November. The airplane on this route is airbus A330 aircraft. Every week has three round-trip flights. Airborne hours from Wuhan to Dubai are 9 hours. Previously, a transfer in Kunming or Hong Kong was needed in flights from Wuhan to Dubai which would take about 30 hours and a transit in Urumqi or Beijing would take about 16 hours.

The Wuhan - Tokyo international route has two round-trip flights on every Tuesday and Friday with 4 airborne hours. The aircraft takes off from Wuhan at 8:15 and lands in Narita Airport at 13:30. And the return flight takes off from Tokyo at 14:30 and lands in Wuhan at 17:30. (Reporter Yan Xiaodong, correspondent Lu Li)