HANGZHOU, Dec. 20 -- Qatar Airways started a direct flight service on Friday between Qatar's capital of Doha and Hangzhou City, a tourist destination in east China's Zhejiang Province.

It is the first passenger air route between Hangzhou and the Middle East, said Shen Jian, chairman of Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport Co. Ltd.

It is Qatar Airways' seventh air route to China besides Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chongqing and Chengdu, said Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of the carrier, who arrived in Hangzhou on the maiden flight.

The airline will operate four weekly round-trip flights with Airbus A330.