The first passenger flight arrives at the newly-opened Ruoqiang Loulan Airport in Ruoqiang County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 29, 2018. Xinjiang opened its 20th airport, the Ruoqiang Loulan Airport, on Thursday. Currently, only one air route operates out of the new airport. The new route, also launched Thursday, links Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, Korla City and Ruoqiang County and is operated by China Southern Airlines. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

URUMQI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region opened its 20th airport, the Ruoqiang Loulan Airport, on Thursday.

Currently, only one air route operates out of the new airport. The new route, also launched Thursday, links Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, Korla City and Ruoqiang County and is operated by China Southern Airlines.

The flights are scheduled for every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

The new airport is expected to annually handle 120,000 travelers and 480 tonnes of cargo by 2020.

The airport has improved the infrastructure of the county and will lay the foundation to build Ruoqiang into a regional transportation hub and trade and logistics center in the future, said Yue Enhong, an official with the airport.

Construction on the airport began in November 2015.

Ruoqiang neighbors Gansu and Qinghai provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region.