CHANGSHA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A new direct flight between Zhangjiajie in central China's Hunan Province, and Hanoi, capital city of Vietnam, was launched on Monday.

It is the first direct flight that links the two cities.

VietJet Airline from Vietnam will operate the service every Monday and Friday using an Airbus A320, with a capacity of 180 passengers.

The route was launched to meet the needs of the increasing number of tourists from Vietnam traveling to Zhangjiajie, the airline said.

VietJet Airline has air routes connecting more than 60 cities in Asia. It is also planning on opening a route between Ho Chi Minh and Zhangjiajie.

Zhangjiajie is classified by UNESCO as a World Geopark and a World Heritage Site.