North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region will open more direct flights linking the region's branch airports to provide much more convenient services for passengers, according to information from Inner Mongolia Civil Aviation Airport Group.

Although Inner Mongolia is already home to 20 civil airports, the region's territory is long and narrow from east to west and has a vast area. Passengers traveling among some leagues and cities still must take detours, costing time and money.

Thus, the flight networks connecting these airports will be upgraded and improved over a two-year period.

According to the plan, from October 2021 to March 2022, a total of 12 new direct flights will be opened in Inner Mongolia.

The newly-opened Xiliinhot-Ulaanhot-Hohhot flight is a typical example of what is to come.

In the past, passengers heading to Ulaanhot from Xiliinhot had to first fly to the region's capital city of Hohhot and then transfer to Ulaanhot. A single journey took six to seven hours.

Since the opening of the Xiliinhot-Ulaanhot-Hohhot flight, it takes at most one hour to fly between Xiliinhot and Ulaanhot by plane, and tickets cost as low as 100 yuan ($15).

Since the opening of the flight, the average load factor of direct flights from Xiliinhot to Ulaanhot  is 86.3 percent, and that of direct flights from Ulaanhot  to Xiliinhot is 82.7 percent. Tickets are selling well.