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The Sunan Shuofang International Airport welcomed the first batch of passengers last Thursday with the first direct flight in three years taking off, marking the official resumption of the Wuxi-Osaka route.

At six in the morning, the direct flight from Wuxi to Osaka began to check in. Before the resumption of the direct flight, passengers from Wuxi to Osaka need to transfer through Hong Kong or Seoul, and it will take at least ten hours to arrive at Osaka.

The resumption of flights has facilitated cross-border travel and also brought convenience to business travelers who often need to travel between the two regions, as well as Japanese employees in Wuxi.

"Our family of three went on a trip to Japan and happened to see that on April 6th, Wuxi could fly directly to Osaka, which was really convenient," said a passenger from Wuxi.

"I feel particularly happy that I can fly directly back to Osaka from Wuxi," said a Japanese passenger.

The flight departed from Wuxi at 8:00 am and arrived in Osaka in 2 hours and 10 minutes. The return time is 12:10 noon local time in Japan. The direct flight from Wuxi to Osaka is scheduled to operate once every Thursday, and will resume to operate three times a week in the future.

"Starting from April 5th, Japan has adjusted its entry policy. Passengers can enter Japan as long as they hold a certificate of three doses of COVID-19 vaccine or a 72-hour nucleic acid test. Our airport will promote the orderly resumption of international flights and plan to open regional routes from Wuxi to Bangkok, Nha Trang, Incheon, Sapporo, and Taiwan," said Chen Rongliang, Manager of Security Inspection Department of Sunan Shuofang International Airport Co., Ltd.