An airplane carrying more than 80 passengers from Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, landed at Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, on Aug 8, marking the first direct flight between the two cities.

The flight, operated by China Express Airlines Co Ltd, is the second intra-province air route in Zhejiang, after the Hangzhou-Wenzhou flight.

The flight takes about one hour and flies in both directions between Zhoushan and Quzhou on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The flight will depart from Quzhou at 7:30 pm and arrive in Zhoushan at 8:30 pm. The return flight is set to depart from Zhoushan at 9:10 pm and arrive in Quzhou at 10:10 pm.

"The direct flight reduces traffic time between eastern Zhoushan and western Quzhou from five hours to just one hour and offers more transportation options to residents," said an official of Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport.

According to the official, the airport now houses 18 direct flights operated by 13 airliners in China, flying to 19 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu. In 2019, its passenger throughput surged 25.8 percent year-on-year to a record high of 1.52 million.

He noted that the Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport plans to complete its airline network and expand into emerging markets. The airport will also invite famous airlines to open commercial routes to Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, and add more commercial routes to Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, and Shenzhen.