Tianjin Airlines launched a shuttle flight Tuesday from Haikou, capital of Hainan province, to Sanya, a famous tourist city in Hainan.

The flight, on a Dornier 328, takes 40 minutes and leaves twice a day.

The Chinese government announced in Deccember that it aims to build the southern island of Hainan into a top international tourism destination by 2020. Traffic between Haikou and Sanya is expected to jump.

Tianjin Airlines is a joint venture by the Hainan Air Group, Hainan Airlines and Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone Investment Co., launched in the northern municipality in June, 2009.