The crew of Spring Airlines celebrates their first flight from Ningbo to Tokyo on April 25. [Photo/zj.zjol.com] 

Ningbo Lishe International Airport recently opened an air route to Tokyo, with the first flight carrying 187 passengers taking off from the airport on April 25.

The flight, owned by Spring Airlines, takes three hours to arrive at Tokyo. It flies every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

This is the fourth route to a Japanese city that the airport has opened, the first three being to Osaka, Nagoya and Shizuoka. Japan is now the most-served overseas destination at the airport.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan, and also a hub of Japanese culture, education and fashion.

The route saves time for Ningbo residents who want to go to Tokyo, as they previously had to take a plane from Hangzhou or Shanghai, or fly to Osaka or Nagoya and change flights.