URUMQI - China Southern Airlines will begin operating Xinjiang's first direct flight to St. Petersburg in Russia on July 16, it announced on Tuesday.

The service, linking Xinjiang's capital Urumqi with St. Petersburg, will be served by a Boeing 757 every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The plane will be able to carry up to 380 passengers in round way air service.

The launch of the new service will make Urumqi China's second-biggest hub for flights to and from Russia, second only to Beijing, China Southern said.

The flight will take about five hours.