A traditional water cannon salute is held upon the plane's arrival in Nantong on June 23 to celebrate the launch of the new Nantong-Macao air route. [Photo/zgnt.net]

Flight NX172 operated by Air Macao and carrying 73 passengers from Macao landed at Nantong Xingdong International Airport in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province on June 23, marking the launch of a new air route linking the two regions.

Among the passengers were 32 delegates from the Macao Chinese Enterprises Association, who would set off a three-day trip in Nantong to seek cooperation opportunities.

Many Nantong entrepreneurs have started businesses or invested in Macao, helping facilitate bilateral cooperation in construction, education, and cultural innovation, said a member of the delegation.

He added that the new air route will create more cooperation opportunities for Macao and Nantong in commerce, tourism, culture, modern finance, traditional Chinese medicine, as well as scientific and technological innovation.

During the initial stage of the new air route, Air Macao will operate a round-trip flight every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday with an Airbus A320 aircraft. The trip from Nantong to Macao will take two hours and 30 minutes.

Nantong is the third city in Jiangsu province that offers direct flights to Macao. The number of passengers traveling between Macao and the province surpassed 800,000 in 2019.