WUHAN, May 12 (Xinhua) -- A direct air route will be launched on May 18 between the central Chinese city of Wuhan and Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to Hubei Airport Group.

Tibet Airlines will use an Airbus A319 for the service, which will take about three and a half hours.

The flights will depart from Lhasa at 4:40 p.m. and arrive in Wuhan at 8:00 p.m. everyday. The return flights will leave Wuhan at 9:10 p.m. and arrive in Lhasa at 12:50 a.m. except Thursday. On Thursday the flight will leave Wuhan at 8:55 p.m. and arrive in Lhasa at 12:35 a.m.

In the past, the journey involved a transfer flight and the shortest trip took nearly seven hours.

The opening of the air route will help attract more tourists from central China to Tibet.