Source: CCTV.com

07-04-2008 14:58

The development of increasingly regular chartered flights across the Taiwan Straits over the last few years.

The development of increasingly regular chartered flights across the Taiwan Straits over the last few years.

2002 saw the notion of cross-Straits chartered flights first proposed by the mainland and Taiwan. And the next year saw mainland authorities approving six Taiwan airlines and sixteen flights to Shanghai, with stop-overs at Hong Kong or Macao.

But in 2004, Taiwan authorities blocked the proposal and postponed communications.

However, with the approach of the Spring Festival in 2005, the mainland pushed again for chartered flights over the holiday period and the first such flights took off over the Spring Festival period that year. Those was the first time non-stop flights to operate, with planes no longer required to land in Hong Kong and Macao.

It was also the first time for mainland civil airplanes to fly to Taiwan after 56 years of suspended services. But the flights were only restricted to Taiwan businessmen and their families over the Spring Festival.

In 2006, there were further developments. Not just businessmen, but also Taiwan residents were allowed as passengers. There was also an addition to airports providing the flights with Xiamen joining the original list of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Round-trip flights increased to 72 from the original 48.

Also in 2006, cross-Straits chartered flights were launched over the mid-Autumn Festival in September. Since then, chartered flights have expanded to cover most holidays, not just the Spring Festival.