Tianjin Airlines will open a route to London later this year, as part of a grand plan to start intercontinental flights, reported the City Express on March 19.

The plan was revealed at the promotion event held at the Renaissance Tianjin Downtown Hotel on March 18.

Media reports said that the airlines will buy several Airbus A330 jets this year and they will be used for the new line.

London was chosen because it is one of the world’s most important transportation hubs, said a senior manager.

Tianjin Airlines is “Going Global” under the integrated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region strategy and building itself as a medium-and-long range passenger and cargo transportation network.

Liu Qinghua, manager of the sales and marketing department, said that the airline will operate eight international services, linking Tianjin to cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Seoul.

Currently, the airline operates over 150 air routes with more than 100 city destinations. In 2015, 18 international and regional routes went under operation with an annual growth rate of 104.8 percent.