A China Express Airlines aircraft receives a traditional water salute after arriving at Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport. [Photo/www.wifizs.cn]

Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, welcomed its first stationed aircraft piloted by a commercial airline on July 1, marking a major shift in its operations.

With stationed aircraft now in place, the airport has entered a new "early departure, late return" phase, offering greater flexibility and reach for its flight network.

The China Express Airlines aircraft G54858 arrived from Yangzhou in Jiangsu province and received a traditional water salute.

The arrival signaled the deployment of two CRJ-900 regional jets to the airport, which will serve five to six selected routes. This allows Putuoshan airport to serve as a departure point, not just a stopover, for the first time.

Previously, with no stationed aircraft of its own, Zhoushan had to rely on aircraft dispatched from other base airports, reducing operational efficiency.

With aircraft now based onsite, the airport gains more control over route planning and scheduling. Starting this month, new routes to Yancheng, Yangzhou-Taizhou, and Rizhao have been added, while routes to Wenzhou, Hefei, and Taiyuan have resumed. Flights to Lianyungang have also increased.

These destinations cover key economic zones in the Yangtze River Delta region and parts of East and North China. Compared with stopover flights, stationed aircraft allow for all-day operations, increasing daily usage rates of core airport facilities by more than 25 percent.

As a result, the airport projects that passenger throughput will exceed 3 million by the end of the year.