CHENGDU — Sichuan Airlines will launch a flight between Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan province and St. Petersburg, the company announced Thursday.

It will be the first non-stop service between the two cities, and the second airline linking Chengdu with Russia, following a Chengdu-Moscow air route.

Operating twice a week, the flight takes about 9 hours and 20 minutes from Chengdu to St. Petersburg, and 8 hours on the journey back, the airlines said.

As the second-largest city in Russia, St. Petersburg is also the industrial center and transportation hub of the country, and its palaces and museums are a draw for international tourists.