Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has recently opened its first air-freight route to London in Britain, said local authorities on Monday.

The maiden flight, carrying some 50 tonnes of cross-border e-commerce cargo, left Urumqi Diwopu International Airport for London on Dec. 14.

With the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce, the sector's volume of goods at the airport has been steadily increasing, said the airport's customs.

The new direct cargo route from Urumqi to London is expected to further promote the close connection between China's Xinjiang and key European air transport hubs, providing more comprehensive and efficient commercial logistics services for economic and trade cooperation between the two sides, the customs added.

As of now, Urumqi has opened a total of 14 international cargo routes, among which there are seven routes to Europe.