Freight airlines based in Yantai are expected to expand their service into Southeast and North Asia to strengthen Yantai airports position as a regional air traffic hub.

Hou Changlin, deputy manager of Yantai International Airport Group, made the remarks at the Yantai Forum on International Economic and Trade Cooperation on Nov 6.

In recent years, Yantai Penglai International Airport has taken advantage of its proximity to Japan and South Korea and export-oriented economy to form an international air travel network. The network’s core is Japan and South Korea, although it also covers Hong Kong and Taiwan in China and Southeast Asia.

Yantai has opened air routes to South Korean cities, including Incheon, Cheju, Busan and Chungju. The city's airport annually transports around 619,000 round-trip passengers to South Korea.

The city has opened routes servicing Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Shizuoka and Fukuoka in Japan.

Also, Yantai has regular flights to ASEAN countries, including Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar, with 10 to 12 departures every week.

Official data show that Yantai Penglai International Airport had a total passenger throughput of 10.05 million in 2019, a year-on-year growth of 19.2 percent. The cargo throughput reached 57,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 10.9 percent, ranking 38th in China.

In the future, Yantai will make efforts to promote its international airlines to serve the city’s opening up and global logistics market.