Regularly scheduled cross-Taiwan Strait flights are slated to be launched the first week in September, but Taiwan is keeping it a low-key affair amid the somber mood that has prevailed islandwide in the wake of the Typhoon Morakot disaster.
"There will be no celebrations to mark the launch of the service, which will increase the number of direct cross-strait flights from 108 to 270 per week, " the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said.
CAA officials noted that the government and Taiwanese air carriers had already celebrated a few months ago the expansion of a special direct charter flight service that was launched to accommodate cross-strait travel during three major national festivals.
In early September, a total of 44 round-trip direct flights across the strait will be available, the CAA said, adding that nine of them will be between Taiwan and Shanghai.
The first China-bound regular flight from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport will be a Uni Airways flight, departing at 7:30 a.m. and arriving in Qingdao around 10 a.m.
The first China-bound regular flight from Taipei's Songshan Airport will be a Trans Asia Airways flight, also departing at 7:30 a.m., but arriving in Shanghai around 8:55 a.m., according to the CAA.
The first regular flight from China to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport will be a China Eastern flight, departing from Ningbo at 9 a.m. and arriving at 10:25 a.m.
The first regular flight from China to Songshan Airport will be a Shanghai Airlines flight, departing from Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport at 9: 20 a.m. and arriving at 11 a.m., according to the CAA.
With the launch of the regularly scheduled cross-strait flights, the number of mainland China destinations has also been increased from 21 to 27.
Addressing widespread public complaints about high ticket prices, CAA officials said they had urged the air carriers to make some price adjustments. Unconfirmed reports stated that the CAA and the Taiwanese carriers have reached a decision that ticket prices for regular cross-strait flights will be cut by about 15 percent.
Taiwan and China reached an agreement in April, in their third round of negotiations, to increase the number of cross-strait flights from 108 to 270 per week.
Direct air links between Taiwan and China were opened in July last year.
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