A passenger receives an inspection before boarding the flight heading for Osaka from Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

As a flight carrying 116 passengers departed from Nantong Xingdong International Airport for Osaka, Japan, on Oct 27, the direct flights between Osaka and the Chinese city were officially resumed.

It is the fourth resumed international and regional passenger flight in Nantong since 2020 after Vietnam's Nha Trang, South Korea's Jeju Island, and China's Macao.

"Only taking three hours, this flight can reach Osaka. On the same day, it can fly back to Nantong with a full load of tourists. A round trip can be completed in half a day, making it a truly airborne 'shuttle bus'," introduced Wang Anxun, general manager of the Nantong branch of Shenzhen Airlines, operator of the flights.

Japan is one of the essential destinations for foreign trade in Nantong, the city's second-largest source of foreign investment and a major market for foreign labor cooperation. Nantong has become a gathering place for Japanese-funded enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta and as of now, 500 such enterprises are investing and operating in Nantong.

With the continuous optimization and adjustment of entry-exit policies and the strong promotion of the tourism boom, the number of inbound and outbound passengers at Nantong airport has increased significantly.

Since this year, the airport has delivered 89,000 inbound and outbound passengers, an increase of 58.9 percent year-on-year and exceeding the entire number of last year.

Currently, Nantong airport has opened six international and regional passenger routes to and from Hong Kong, Macao, Nha Trang in Vietnam, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Jeju Island in South Korea, and Osaka in Japan. Additionally, there are three international cargo routes to Osaka and Tokyo in Japan, as well as Incheon in South Korea.