The newly-built Lishui Airport is located in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

The newly constructed Lishui Airport — the first airport in Lishui, East China's Zhejiang province — is set to launch its inaugural flight on July 18, as announced by Zhejiang Airport Group.

On this day, flights to Beijing and Shanghai will begin service. The Beijing route will operate four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Flight CA1873 departs Beijing at 14:55, arriving in Lishui at 17:30, while CA1874 leaves Lishui at 18:15, reaching Beijing at 20:45.

The Shanghai route offers daily flights, with MU6985 departing Shanghai at 19:00 (or 18:40 on select days) and arriving in Lishui around 20:00. Flight MU6986 departs Lishui at 21:00 daily.

A representative from Zhejiang Lishui Airport Management Company noted that the Beijing route is scheduled for peak travel times, while the Shanghai route is coordinated with international connections.

By the end of August, new routes to Shenzhen in Guangdong province and Guiyang in Guizhou province will be added, with plans for a route to Guangzhou in Guangdong.

The airport aims to further expand by adding connections to Wuhan in Hubei province, Chongqing, Chengdu in Sichuan province, Qingdao in Shandong province, and Harbin in Heilongjiang province during the winter-spring season, targeting over 10 routes annually.

Tickets for these flights will be available through the ticket purchasing platforms of Air China and China Eastern Airlines, as well as online travel agencies like Ctrip and Fliggy.