Extra flights ro Taiwan may take off
Source: Xinhua |
March 17, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
DIRECT flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan could expand in some major Chinese cities, a senior advisor to the China Air Transport Association said yesterday.
Some 3.88 million people had taken the direct flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan from December 31, 2008, to the end of February, said Xia Xinghua.
Mainland airlines carried about 1.55 million passengers while the rest flew on Taiwan carriers.
"About 77 percent of seats on cross-strait passenger flights were sold on average," Xia told a symposium attended by about 60 senior officials of the airlines operating across the Taiwan Strait.
About 85,386 tons of goods were also transported by the cross-strait direct flights.
Xia said the figures showed the direct links between the mainland and Taiwan had made cross-strait travel much easier, expanded exchanges and given fresh impetus to the peaceful development of relations.
Xia expected airlines in Taiwan to expand their services to big cities outside Shanghai and Beijing where there are concentrations of Taiwan business people.
Passenger flow in cities including Chengdu, Kunming and Tianjin was noticeable, but there were not enough flights, Xia said.
Xia's expansion call was echoed by Chan Hsiung-chih, leading deputy general manager of Uni Air, a Taiwan airline, who said the potential in these cities was promising.
Airlines operate 270 direct flights weekly, connecting 31 terminals on the mainland, including Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou, with the island.
The mainland and Taiwan added 88 cross-strait flights during the last Spring Festival holiday from February 14.
Extra flights might also be added to cope with another possible travel rush during the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai from May 1 to October 31, Xia said at the conference, without giving further details.
The mainland and Taiwan began direct air and sea transport links and postal services on December 15, 2008. Previously, air and sea connections, including mail, were routed through a third location, usually Hong Kong.
In November 2008, the mainland and Taiwan agreed to launch regular passenger charter flights across the strait.
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