A new direct air link between China and New Zealand opened Friday with the arrival of the inaugural Tianjin Airlines flight at Auckland Airport.

The new service from Tianjin and Chongqing would add 83,000 seats to the China-New Zealand route every year and boost New Zealand's tourism industry by 102 million NZ dollars (70.42 million U.S. dollars), said Auckland Airport officials.

"Regional China is a rapidly developing market for New Zealand tourism and the new flights we're welcoming today will provide more choice for Chinese visitors to experience New Zealand, and for New Zealanders travelling to China," acting general manager Scott Tasker said in a statement.

Tianjin Airlines will operate year-round between Tianjin, Chongqing and Auckland with three flights a week using an A330 aircraft.

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