URUMQI, June 17 -- A regular direct air route opened on Tuesday to connect China's northwestern city of Urumqi and Seoul of the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The direct flight is the first between Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and northeast Asia, according to its operator, China Southern Airlines.

The Boeing-757 aircraft will commute between Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi and Seoul Incheon International Airport on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

The flight takes four hours and 10 minutes on the route stretching 3,376 km. Passengers' travel time is greatly cut as they used to transfer in Beijing or Shanghai before the launch of the direct flight.

The service is expected to boost tourism in both destinations and strengthen Urumqi's role as a regional aviation hub along the Silk Road Economic Belt.

In 2013, nearly 20,000 ROK tourists traveled to Xinjiang.