XI'AN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- China's YTO Airlines on Tuesday opened a direct air cargo route linking Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and Bangkok.

Operated by a Boeing 737 cargo aircraft running three outbound trips a week, it is the second all-freighter route between Xi'an and Southeast Asian cities, following the previous one that connects Xi'an with Vietnam's capital Hanoi.

The maiden return flight from Bangkok was loaded with 14 tonnes of imported mangosteens, Thai mini pineapples and other tropical fruits from Southeast Asia. Various types of fresh goods will follow, including seafood, with an estimated annual import volume of 1,500 tonnes per year.

Outbound cargo will mainly consist of e-commerce express goods and general freight.

The new route has significantly shortened the time and reduced the cost of transportation, as the city maintains a high consumption growth of imported fruits over the past few years but had to wait for transfers from Shanghai and Guangzhou, said an official from the management committee in the Airport New City of Xixian New Area.

YTO Airlines is the aviation arm of the major express service provider YTO Express, which has 82 logistics distribution centers nationwide and business extending to 150 countries and regions around the world.