Direct Cross-strait Scheduled Flights Expected Soon

  The long-anticipated normalization of flights across the Taiwan Strait will satisfy the demand for direct transportation links and exert pressure for the lowering of cross-strait ticket prices. According to a conclusion reached during the third Chiang-Chen talks, Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) will expand flight connections by adding scheduled passenger flights to the current charter flights and boosting the number of weekly round-trip flights across the strait from 108 to 270, with 135 flights operated by carriers from each side. The increased service is expected to be inaugurated soon.

Under a supplementary air transportation agreement concluded during the third Chiang-Chen talks, planning for normal cross-strait scheduled passenger and cargo flights will be carried out based on the foundation of the existing charter flights. Besides, two new direct flight corridors will also be opened up: a southern corridor (Taipei-Guangzhou Flight Information Regions) and a second northern corridor (Taipei-Shanghai Flight Information Regions). In addition, air carriers operating cross-strait flights will be allowed to set up representative offices at the destinations they serve on the other side of the strait, and their representatives will be allowed to engage in the sale of air transportation certificates, advertising and marketing activities, and traffic operations.

Six new cross-strait destinations—Hefei, Harbin, Nanchang, Jinan, Ningbo, and Guiyang—will be added to the 21 already served on the mainland, while the number of airports on Taiwan will remain at the existing eight. Taoyuan and Kaohsiung will be used for regular scheduled flights, and the remaining six—Songshan, Taichung, Magong, Hualien, Jinmen, and Taidong—will handle charter flights. Cross-strait flights to six mainland airports that are particularly busy—Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Kunming, and Chengdu—will be limited to a total of 180 per week, with each side operating 90 flights.

Scheduled cross-strait cargo flights will continue using Taoyuan and Kaohsiung in Taiwan, and Shanghai (Pudong) and Guangzhou in China. However, total weekly scheduled and charter cargo flights will be increased to 28, with each side flying 14, double the current number. At the same time, the carrying of cargo in the bellyholds of aircraft on scheduled passenger flights will be allowed.
The CAA emphasizes that the implementation of direct scheduled flights across the Taiwan Strait will have to wait until the “Supplementary Agreement on Cross-strait Air Transport” and “Regulations Governing the Approval and Administration of Direct Cross-strait Air Transportation Between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area” take effect. This is expected to happen in August.

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