On March 21, direct passenger flights from Guangzhou, China to Surabaya, the capital of East Java Province, Indonesia, were officially put into operation，marked by the first flight taking off from Guangzhou and arriving in Surabaya.

This direct passenger flight is operated by China Southern Airlines four times a week. The flight from Guangzhou to Surabaya is on  Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, and Surabaya to Guangzhou is on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The one-way flight duration is 5 hours and 40 minutes.

On March 22, the first Chinese cultural tourism promotion event was held in Surabaya, after the official launch of the direct flight.