SHENZHEN - The first direct air route linking China's southern city of Shenzhen with Los Angeles will be launched on Dec 7, Air China announced Tuesday.

Three round-trip flights, coded CA769/770, will be made on Monday, Thursday and Saturday every week. The service will use a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, with each flight taking about 12.5 hours.

The service is an updated version of the Shenzhen-Beijing-Los Angeles route Air China opened in February this year. The direct flight aims to serve passengers in China's Pearl River Delta.

Los Angeles has become the first ever US city destination to receive more than 1 million Chinese visitors in a year, according to a report by the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board in January.

China is the top destination in the Asia-Pacific region for US tourists, with more than 5 million tourist trips made between China and the United States in 2016.