Passengers prepare to board a flight for Hong Kong from Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

An airplane carrying 127 passengers departed the Xingdong International Airport in Nantong, Jiangsu for Hong Kong on May 26, marking the launch of direct flights between the two cities.

The flight departs Nantong at 10:50 am and later departs Hong Kong at 2:30 pm. The flight takes about 2.5 hours.

Mainland people's interest in visiting Hong Kong continues to rise with flexible policies stimulating the recovery of Hong Kong's tourism industry. Nantong has also seen closer economic and cultural exchanges with the city.

The flight crew poses for a group photo before departing Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Hong Kong is Nantong's third largest foreign trade market and the city's largest source of foreign investment. In 2022, it used $1.45 billion in foreign capital from Hong Kong.

Nantong airport added 10 more flights to Nanning, Xining, and Guilin, with total daily flights increasing to over 110 and connecting 36 cities when it adopted a new flight schedule on March 26.

So far this year, the Nantong airport has transported 1.33 million passengers, and its number of weekly flights has increased to 11.

Nantong airport has been offering customized services to passengers with special needs, passenger groups, and passengers who are traveling by air for the first time. During holidays, the airport usually arranges for volunteers to assist passengers.