As an important part of building the comprehensive national transport network, the construction of Shandong's modern airport cluster has been accelerating, Dazhong Daily reported.

At present, the airport reconstruction and expansion projects in Yantai, Linyi, Dongying and other cities in the province are in full swing.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Shandong province will invest nearly 100 billion yuan ($14.25 billion) in building transportation airports.

The Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport, an important transport hub in the province, has maintained a good momentum of developing international freight amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the beginning of this year, the airport has operated stable international cargo routes from Jinan to Liege, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Milan and other places. It has also opened new international cargo routes from Jinan to Mexico City, and international cargo routes from Jinan to New York, Chicago, Osaka, and Tokyo have resumed operations.

The Jinan airport has been working to strengthen its cooperation with key enterprises, e-commerce enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises in the province, promote a smooth and efficient supply chain, and open up the aviation logistics channel connecting Jinan to cities at home and abroad.

According to the Shandong Provincial Airport Management Group, its total cargo throughput had reached 136,000 metric tons, which is 12.6 percent higher than the same period in 2019.

The province is also promoting general aviation industry development. As a strategic emerging industry, general aviation covers the research and development and manufacturing of general aircrafts, market operations, comprehensive support and extended services. It is a new driving force for high-quality economic and social development, according to local officials.