China Northwestern Airlines has added two new routes to Japan, bringing the company's total number of international routes to ten.

China Northwest now operates 26 return flights to Japan each week, putting it up among Chinese airlines with the most flights to Japanese cities, according to company sources.

Airbus 320 and Airbus 310 planes will fly the two newly opened routes of Shanghai-Oita and Xi'an-Shanghai-Tokyo.

The flight from Shanghai to Oita is 1,045 km and takes one hour and 25 minutes. Since April 25 two return flights have been available every Monday and Friday.

The flight from Xi'an to Tokyo is 3,338 km and takes four hours and five minutes. Return flights will be available on this route every day from May 8.

Meanwhile, the airline which now operates 102 regular domestic and overseas routes, also runs chartered flights to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

( China Daily May 7, 2002)