Air China, the country's major carrier, will launch a new route next Tuesday from the eastern city of Hangzhou to Frankfurt in Germany.

The flight will depart five days a week via Beijing, said Huang Weilin, general manager of Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport.

Starting Jan 1, 2010, the flight will operate daily.

The airport is expected to launch a Hangzhou to Ho Chi Minh City route in December, a Hangzhou-Dubai-Madrid route in January 2010 and Hangzhou-Bangkok route in March 2010.

By Bruce