Direct Minsk – Urumqi Flights Now Underway

Belarus’s Belavia Airlines has launched regular flights from Minsk to Urumqi, the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Province. It is the largest and wealthiest city in Central Asia. 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. It is a weekly, return service.

Several Chinese auto manufacturers have auto parts manufacturing subsidiaries in the Minsk Great Stone Industrial Park. They had originally invested in Belarus to assemble and produce cars for the eastern European markets, but sanctions against Belarus have prompted a rethink.

Urumqi is the first Chinese city that Belavia flies to, although the carrier plans to launch regular flights to other cities in China next year. Belavia operates the flights to Urumqi using Boeing-737-800 aircraft, while Urumqi is also well connected to all other Chinese and Central Asian cities.

Belarus is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States, giving it Central Asian free trade access to markets in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, all of which have daily flights from Urumqi.

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