DUBAI -- China Southern Airlines on Thursday resumed direct passenger flights between Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The route, operated by Boeing 737 aircraft, will run twice a week. Flight CZ6069 departs Urumqi on Thursday and Sunday evenings, with a flying time of about 6.5 hours. The return flight, CZ6070, leaves Dubai early on Monday and Friday, taking about 5.5 hours, the airline said in a statement.

The flights operate from Urumqi Tianshan International Airport and represent the shortest air link between China and the UAE, the airline said. Passengers can use its Urumqi hub to reach Xinjiang destinations such as Kanas, Ili, and Kashgar, as well as major cities across China and countries in Central and South Asia.

With the resumption of the Urumqi-Dubai direct flight, China Southern Airlines now operates 23 weekly direct passenger flights from China to Dubai, including two daily flights from Guangzhou, four weekly from Shenzhen, and three from Wuhan. The airline also runs three weekly Boeing 777 freighter services between Guangzhou and Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport.