An Indonesian airlines, Lion Air, opened more direct flights to Chinese cities by linking the capital city of Jakarta with Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province.

The flight was commenced on Saturday from Jakarta international airport of Soekarno-Hatta, bound to Haikou's Meilan international airport, Lion Air Group Corporate Secretary and Communications Officer Andi M. Saladin said here on Monday.

"We thank Hainan United Airlines Travel Group Co. Ltd. that has provided significant contributions in arranging travels of foreign tourists and Haikou residents to Indonesia for vacations," he said.

Lion Air's direct charter flights from Jakarta to Haikou were scheduled every Tuesdays and Saturdays; meanwhile for the reversal flights from Haikou to Jakarta were scheduled every Wednesdays and Sundays, he added.

The Jakarta-Haikou route would add to Lion Air's existing direct flight service to one of China's prominent tourism provinces. The airlines previously opened charter flight connecting Jakarta to Hainan province's city of Sanya.

"We are optimistic of capable to transport over 50,000 tourists from Hainan. With increasing demands of charter flights to Indonesia, we are sure to see the operational sustainability of this flight service that would eventually contribute to national growth through tourism industry," Saladin said.

Indonesia Tourism Minister Arief Yahya hailed the new flight service as it would expand the connections with China's southern economic zones after China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and China's Macao Special Administrative Region.

He added that besides transporting tourists, the flights to Hainan would also open more markets for Indonesian traditional foods and other hospitality products.