A busy terminal at the Nantong Xingdong International Airport. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The Nantong Xingdong International Airport in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, will launch routes to more Chinese cities this month, local media reported on July 14.

Nantong residents will be able to fly directly to Zhengzhou, capital city of Henan province, Turpan in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Since July 1, local residents have been able to travel to Yichang in Hubei province and Kunming, capital city of Yunnan province, by air.

The airline market in Nantong has gradually recovered after the airport resumed flights in late May, which has been suspended due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Since June 29, the airport's daily passenger throughput has exceeded 10,000 for 10 consecutive days, and on July 8, the airport set a record in daily passenger throughput with 13,444 passengers.

Nantong airport has now resumed routes to 36 Chinese cities, and over the past 10 days it handled 115,000 passengers, up 11.48 percent year-on-year.

Air freight in the city also experienced robust growth. Freight throughput at the airport totaled 20.637 metric tons over the past 10 days, a year-on-year increase of 44 percent, and it is expected to set a new record this month as the airport has recently opened all-cargo flights to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Quanzhou, Osaka and Tokyo.