UAE airline Emirates has resumed round-trip flights between Dubai and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, starting Sunday.

Photo via China Daily

On Sunday afternoon, many residents gathered at the international arrivals hall of Terminal 4 at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, holding flowers as they waited to welcome relatives returning from Dubai.

The first flight after the route's resumption, EK310, landed at 3:57 pm Beijing time, carrying 220 passengers.

Emirates plans to operate one daily flight between the two cities.

Shi Fangyang, an international check-in staff member with the Hangzhou airport's ground service department, said that among the three Middle East destinations currently served from Hangzhou— Cairo, Dubai, and Doha—the Cairo route is operating normally. Of the Dubai and Doha routes, only Emirates has resumed flight operations so far.

Shi added that the airport would continue to work closely with operating airlines to monitor the evolving situation and inform the public of any adjustments to flight schedules.