A plane?of Sichuan Airlines takes off at an airport in Sanya, Hainan province, May 1, 2015. [Photo/VCG]

HARBIN - China's Sichuan Airlines will launch a direct air route between Vladivostok, Russia and the northeastern China city of Harbin starting Thursday.

An Airbus A321 will depart from Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, at 7:30 am and arrive in Vladivostok at 11 am local time every Thursday and Sunday. The return flight will leave Vladivostok at 12:10 pm local time and arrive in Harbin at 11:15 am also Thursdays and Sundays, according to Harbin Taiping International Airport.

China Southern Airlines and Russia's Aurora Airline currently operate direct flights between the two cities.