China Eastern Airlines plans to launch international services from its Kunming base to Xishuangbanna and onto Bangkok.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China says China Eastern has applied for traffic rights to serve the Kunming-Xishuangbanna-Bangok route starting in October.
The carrier plans to serve the route seven times weekly and use either Bombardier CRJ aircraft, Boeing 737s or Boeing 767s, it says.
Xishuangbanna is a prefecture in the southern part of Yunnan province bordering Laos and Myanmar.
It is a popular tourist destination because it is a picturesque mountain area where a lot of minority groups live.
China Eastern already operates non-stop from Kunming to Bangkok as does Thai Airways International, according to Innovata.
The Chinese carrier also has 80 flights per week from Kunming to Xishuangbanna, it says.