The Vancouver Airport Authority on Thursday acclaimed china Southern Airline’s upcoming inauguration of a nonstop flight out of Vancouver to China’s third largest city GuangZhou, the first and only flight of its kind in Canada.

Beginning on June 15, the chinese airline will open its service in Vancouver International Airport (YVR), offering three flights weekly to and from Guangzhou, the capital city of China’s southern province of Guangdong.

The service to Guangzhou represents not only a new destination, but a new airline for YVR, the Vancouver Airport Authority that operates YVR said in a statement, adding that it will bring more options to passengers and greater opportunities for business and tourism, particularly given Canada’s recent Approved Destination Status from China.

The service will also contribute to the Pacific Gateway strategy of Canada’s only Pacific coast province of British Columbia, said the Vancouver Airport Authority. The strategy targets a 75-percent increase in the number of passengers traveling through YVR and a doubling of air cargo by 2020.

“With China as British Columbia’s second-largest trading partner, continuing to provide expanded air service to the country has been a key objective for Vancouver Airport Authority as we work to build YVR as a premier global gateway to the Asia-Pacific region,” said Larry Berg, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Airport Authority, in the statement.

It is estimated that China Southern’s thrice-weekly service will generate 44 person-years of employment, 2.2 million Canadian dollars (2.3 million U.S. dollars) in wages, and contribute 3.5 million Canadian dollars to British Columbia’s gross domestic product annually.