Belarus' Belavia Airlines launches first regular flights to China

MINSK. Dec 17 (Interfax) - Belavia Airlines has launched regular flights from Minsk to Urumqi, located in northwest China, Belarus' largest airline said in a press release.

The first flight had over 75% occupancy. The Urumqi-Minsk flight also delivered over three tonnes of cargo, mainly parts for Chinese-manufactured cars, along with the passengers, according to the press release.

Urumqi is currently the only city in China to which Belarus' flagship airline operates flights, though the air carrier plans to launch regular flights to other cities in China next year.

China's Xinhua news agency has reported that Belavia operates the flights to Urumqi using Boeing-737-800 aircraft. Flights are initially planned to operate once per week on the Minsk-Urumqi-Minsk route.

State-owned Belavia was founded in March 1996. The EU imposed sanctions against Belavia in December 2021. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce in April 2022 included Belavia's Boeing 737s in the list of aircraft whose servicing violates U.S. export controls, and the BIS extended the sanctions another year in December 2023. The United States Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) included Belavia in the sanctions list in August last year.

Belavia currently operates international flights to 13 countries and regions worldwide, including Central Asia, Russia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East.