Aeroflot to launch regular passenger flights to Chengdu, China on July 22

MOSCOW. July 11 (Interfax) - Aeroflot plans to launch regular passenger flights from Moscow to the Chinese city of Chengdu, Sichuan province, on July 22, Russia's flagship airline said in a statement.

Aeroflot will operate the flights once per week on wide-body Airbus A330.

It emerged at the end of May that the Chinese aviation authorities had closed the country's airspace to Boeing and Airbus planes of Russian carriers. The ban concerned airplanes with a double registration, which does not meet international requirements, a source told Interfax.

Several A330 planes belong to Aeroflot. Following the introduction of sanctions on Russia, the company bought them from foreign lessors in financial leasing agreements.