The Shantou Waisha Airport, operational for both military and civilian flights, in south China's Guangdong Province will open to foreign planes partially soon, said local government Tuesday.

The direct flight between the Shantou and Singapore, scheduled to become operational on February 2, would be the first international air route of the Shantou airport. The flight journey between the two places will be shortened to more than three hours from the current more than 10 hours.

Three flights are arranged for the Shantou-Singapore air route weekly.

Opening the airport to foreign planes is expected to boost Shantou's economic and trade exchanges with the outside world, government sources said.

Waisha Airport, built in 1956, is for both military and civilian use.

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2010)