A view of China Southern Airline's fleet at Guagnzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, April 19, 2015. [Photo/VCG]

BEIJING - China Southern Airlines on Thursday began a non-stop service between Guangzhou and Malacca, Malaysia, the first direct link between the Chinese mainland and Malacca.

The service, operated by Airbus A319, is scheduled every five days.

China Southern Airlines is hoping to make its Guangzhou hub one of the best transit points for passengers from Malacca to the other destinations of the world.

In 2015, China Southern Airlines carried 4.27 million passengers in the Southeast Asia region, an year-on-year increase of 31 percent.