The air search and rescue team for the return of the three Shenzhou-18 astronauts is fully ready to welcome the trio back at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Monday.
The team with five helicopters has carried out more than 10 search and rescue drills at the Dongfeng landing site.
The commanding helicopter will be the first to find the return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, which is scheduled to touch down on Earth in the early morning on Nov 4.
The telecommunication helicopter will help coordinate efforts of the Dongfeng landing site and the control center in Beijing.
The other three helicopters will provide health services to the three Shenzhou-18 astronauts and transport them away from the landing site.
"(Our five helicopters will cover) an area of 1,300 square kilometers of the Dongfeng landing site. Prior to the landing of the Shenzhou-18 spaceship's return capsule, our commanding helicopter will guide the other four helicopters to fly together towards the theoretical landing point. And we could make adjustments timely according to landing point forecast updates," said Hu Chengxian, a member of the air search and rescue team.
"Our people have all reached a great level both in their technical readiness and in equipment conditions, and we are both confident and capable that we will deliver a safe and efficient performance of the search and rescue mission on the day of return, and properly take the astronauts home," Hu said.
Air search team ready for Shenzhou-18 return
Air search team ready for Shenzhou-18 return
Air search team ready for Shenzhou-18 return
Air search team ready for Shenzhou-18 return
A new direct passenger flight route from Ningbo City of east China's Zhejiang Province to Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh opened on Wednesday, which also marked the first international flight out of the city's airport in 2025.
The new flight departs from the Ningbo Lishe International Airport at 13:30 and takes just under four and a half hours to reach the Cambodian capital. Operated by Cambodian airlines, it is scheduled to fly every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with the return flight departing Phnom Penh at 07:40 local time on the same days.
The direct route provides an important travel option for tourists, especially those from Ningbo and the surrounding areas. Pang Cuili, a Ningbo resident who had to transit in Shanghai for a midnight arrival in Phnom Penh, said the new service now offers much greater convenience.
"We'll fly at 13:30 and arrive at around 16:50. It’s very convenient [timing] for us to check into the hotel after arriving," she said.
As the capital and largest city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh has long been an important international aviation hub in Southeast Asia, with the new route giving a further boost to the economic and cultural exchanges between Ningbo and ASEAN countries.
"Today marks the first flight of Ningbo Airport's regular direct passenger service to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The opening of this route is also an important move for the airport to help implement the Belt and Road Initiative, enriching international passenger transport routes, and further speeding up the recovery of the international market," said Chen Qiaoyu, manager of the Market Development Department at the Ningbo Lishe International Airport.
As Cambodia Airlines' first route out of Ningbo Airport, the new service also signals the airline's broader plans to connect various parts of China with Cambodia in the coming year.
Ningbo airport launches first direct flight to Phnom Penh
