HAIKOU - Hainan Airlines, China's fourth largest airline group, will launch international flight services between Beijing and Okinawa, said an official with the company on Thursday.

The new international route is expected to start on July 28 with two round-trips every Thursday and Sunday on a Boeing aircraft, the company said.

The flight departs at 3 pm local time from Beijing every Thursday and Sunday and leaves from Okinawa at 8:40 pm.

Okinawa consists of over 60 islands between Taiwan and Kyushu and attracts many tourists with its natural beauty and cultural heritage.