PHNOM PENH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- China's Ruili Airlines on Sunday resumed its direct flight from Wuxi in east China's Jiangsu Province to southwest Cambodia's Sihanoukville after a hiatus of years, according to the Cambodia Airports.

The first flight, carrying 126 passengers, landed at the Sihanouk International Airport on Sunday at noon.

According to the Cambodia Airports, Ruili Airlines will operate a weekly regular flight to the coastal city every Sunday.

The flight resumption is expected to bring more Chinese tourists and investors to Sihanoukville.

China is the third biggest source of foreign tourists to Cambodia, following Thailand and Vietnam, according to the latest report from Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism.

The Southeast Asian country attracted a total of 286,156 Chinese visitors during the first quarter of 2025, up 50.6 percent from 189,961 over the same period last year, the report said.■