A low-budget airline, 9Air, will launch a direct flight between Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, and Osaka, Japan in December, according to sources with the carrier.

The new route would help boost business and tourism communication between the two cities, as a large number of high-tech companies from both sides have conducted closer cooperation in recent years.

Osaka, on the western side of Japan, is the country's second-largest city, already becoming a hot destination for sightseeing and shopping for Chinese tourists.

According to the company, the Guangzhou-Osaka flight will operate once a day starting Dec 22 and offering a minimum ticket price of 559 yuan (US$79) for a one-way trip.

The carrier, founded in 2014 in Guangzhou, has already opened several international routes between Guangzhou and cities related to the Belt and Road Initiative, due to increased demand from domestic passengers for business and tourism.

The company opened its first direct international flight between Guangzhou and Mandalay, Myanmar last October.