Baotou Airport in Baotou city – in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region – on Aug 3 started operating a new air route to Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, in another example of the airport's expansion and resumption of services, according to a report in the Baotou Evening News.

The direct flight, operated by China Express Airlines using a CRJ-900 aircraft, is scheduled to fly every Monday and Friday.

The flight departs Baotou at 10:25 and arrives in Jinan at 12:05. The return flight departs Jinan at 13:10 and arrives in Baotou at 15:00.

Ticket prices start at 500 yuan ($71.85), one way.

The airport has increasingly been returning to normal, in the wake of the improving novel coronavirus situation. On Aug 1, the airport resumed air routes including Baotou-Wuhan and the Baotou-Shijiazhuang-Haikou services.

Airport officials said that on Aug 6, the airport will launch a new direct flight to Hulunbuir in the autonomous region.

They added that the airport will continue to take epidemic prevention and control measures, including taking passenger body temperature measurements and regular disinfections of facilities.