Hedong Airport in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, will soon be opened to foreign aircraft, under the approval of the State Council, China's top governing body.

The move ends Ningxia's history of no direct air route to other countries, a local civil aviation official said Sunday.

As the only civil airport in Ningxia, Hedong Airport has opened more than 20 domestic air routes linking Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other large cities since it began operations in 1997.

The landlocked region, many of its residents are Muslims, had arecord foreign trade of more than 800 million US dollars in 2004, with its export markets in 110 countries and regions. Local officials said the opening of international air routes would boosteconomic growth in Ningxia and western China as well.

The airport is upgrading the terminal building and preparing tobuild a customs inspection building.

Source: Xinhua