XI'AN, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's flagship carrier PT Garuda will soon operate direct flights between the Indonesian tourist island of Bali and the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an, company sources said.
The services every Thursday will start on Jan. 26. The flight will take six and a half hours. It will be served by an Airbus wide-body A330-300, with 358 seats.
Garuda currently flies to Bali from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Foreign airlines are expanding their reach to west China as more Chinese can afford overseas trips. In January, Indonesia's Lion Air will also begin a four-time weekly service between southwestern city of Chengdu and Bali.
China has become the second largest source of foreign visitors for Indonesia after Singapore, partly thanks to Jakarta's visa exemption policy for Chinese tourists.
