A budget airline will offer direct flights from Chongqing to Osaka, Japan, from June, Chongqing Morning Post reported.

The Shanghai-based Spring Airlines announced on Sunday it would begin direct flights between Chongqing and Osaka in June, following the launch of its Shanghai to Osaka direct route the previous day. The company plans to schedule three to four weekly flights on the route, promising prices 30 to 60 percent lower than other airlines.

Wang Zhenghua, the president of Spring Airlines, said the company is still negotiating with Chongqing's relevant departments on the route details.

Currently, the majority of Chongqing-Osaka routes are flown by China Eastern Airlines and Air China, with stopovers in Shanghai or Beijing. The direct flights will cut the flight time to about four hours from the current minimum of eight.