Beijing invites Taiwan to talk about non-stop flights
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-11-03 20:46

The Cross-Straits Aviation Transport Exchange Council of the Chinese mainland Thursday invited the Taipei Airlines Association (TAA) in Taiwan to discuss opening non-stop charter flights, especially during the Spring Festival period.

In a message to TAA Chairman Tony Fan, vice-president of the council Pu Zhaozhou invited Fan and members of the TAA to hold direct talks with the council as early as possible on the technical and business issues of opening passenger and cargo charter flights after the fashion of the previous Spring Festival, namely non-stop charter flights via Hong Kong.

"Realizing direct air links across the Taiwan Strait is the common aspiration of compatriots on both sides of the Strait. It is also a necessity of fast growing travels and and economic relations across the Strait," says the message.

It calls for adopting "flexible, practical and effective" measures to facilitate the early opening of direct air links across the Strait, with the emphasis on promoting non-stop passenger and cargo flights at present.

"In this field, the mainland side has made a lot of positive effort," says the message.

It mentions that the council has sent messages twice to the TAA on holding direct talks as early as possible about opening passenger and cargo flights across the Strait after the fashion of the 2005 Spring Festival.

The proposed talks aim to promote the launching of passenger charter flights on holidays, weekends and regularize such flights and the launching of cargo charter flights with equal participation by air carriers on both sides.

"The mainland side has made ample preparations. We are ready to talk about this anytime," says the message.

The message notes that as it has been late autumn, the two sides should hold the direct talks as early as possible to allow time for air carriers of both sides to make necessary arrangements.

"So that the non-stop charter flights will be carried out smoothly to facilitate travels of compatriots on both sides and contribute to the happy, propitious and festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese festival, of 2006," the message says.

The charter flights allow Taiwan business people and their relatives to travel between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan by a shorter and more direct air route. Previously, they must stop at athird destination, usually Hong Kong and Macao when making the trip.