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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.
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