Penglai International Airport opened for business in the city of Yantai, Shandong province, on May 28, as the first touchdown was made by Shandong Airlines at 00:05 am.

The first aircraft, belonging to Shandong Airlines, lands at Yantai Penglai International Airport in Yantai, Shandong province, on May 28, 2015.[Photo/JiaoDong.net]

It is a replacement of the old Laishan airport and serves as one of the three major airports in Shandong, along with Jinan airport and Qingdao airport.

The airport received an investment of 4.5 billion yuan ($734.43 million) and is located in Chaoshui town of Penglai city, 40 kilometers away from downtown Yantai. It is also close to the Yantai Port, the Rongwu (Rongcheng-Wuhai) Highway and the Longyan (Longkou-Yantai) Railway, which is currently under construction.

Photo taken on May 28, 2015 shows the outside view of Yantai Penglai International Airport in Yantai, Shandong province. [Photo/JiaoDong.net]

Penglai airport has built 39 landing docks that allow all the large aircrafts except for the A380 to land. In the coming two months, the airport will open six new routes to Hangzhou, Harbin, Wuhan, Lanzhou, Urumqi and Hailar. In the second half of this year, a route from Yantai to Japan's Nagoya will also be launched.

The opening of the airport is widely expected to inject new energy into the development of Yantai's transport network. It follows the launch of the Qingdao-Rongcheng high-speed railway in 2014.

Photo taken on May 28, 2015 shows the interior of Yantai Penglai International Airport in Yantai, Shandong province. [Photo/JiaoDong.net]

The new airport also aims to keep up with the pace of the country's Belt and Road Initiative to boost the city's logistics industry.

The Belt and Road Initiative, namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

Edited by Jacob Hooson