China Eastern Air Holding Co Ltd officially launched a new branch in Urumqi, the capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Wednesday. The move is expected to bolster the autonomous region's position as an international aviation hub linking Asia and Europe, while serving as a bridgehead for China's opening-up to the West.

In line with the "Go West" program for developing China's western regions and the Belt and Road Initiative, the new branch will facilitate China Eastern's domestic network development, international route expansion, and the deployment of domestically developed C919 aircraft on routes involving Xinjiang, said the Shanghai-based carrier.