BEIJING - China Southern Airlines will launch a direct flight to Kenya on Wednesday.

The Guangzhou-Nairobi route will operate three flights a week and using Airbus 330 jets.

"The new route aims to meet the growing need of communication between people of the two countries and promote aviation cooperation between China and Africa," said Zhang Zifang, Secretary of the Party Committee of China Southern Airlines.

More than 120,000 passengers traveled between China and Kenya last year.