Taiwan Photo: VCG

Several Chinese mainland airlines have resumed direct cross-Straits flights recently, including routes such as Ningbo to Kaohsiung and Chengdu to Taichung making economic and cultural exchanges more convenient cross the Taiwan Straits.

Shanghai-based Spring Airlines confirmed to the Global Times on Sunday that it has resumed a direct flight between Ningbo, Zhejiang Province and Kaohsiung on Saturday, flying with an Airbus A320 aircraft twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays. 

Flight 9C8685 departs Ningbo Lishe International Airport at 3:30 pm and arrives at Kaohsiung International Airport at 5:35 pm; Flight 9C8686 departs Kaohsiung at 6:35 pm and arrives in Ningbo at 8:35 pm.

Previously, passengers traveling between the two cities had to transfer, with one-way travel time typically exceeding five hours. After the resumption of direct flights, the one-way flight time is reduced to about two hours, greatly improving travel efficiency, according to the carrier. 

The current load factor on the Ningbo-Kaohsiung route has exceeded 90 percent, with most passengers from Taiwan region being tourists. Many travelers visit Mount Putuo, and some connect onward to cities such as Lanzhou, Xi'an, Shenyang and Changchun, Spring Airlines told the Global Times on Sunday. 

Zhang Wen, general manager of Spring Airlines responsible for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan businesses, told the Global Times that the market in central and southern Taiwan region is highly active, and ticket sales have remained hot since pre-sales began.

China Eastern Airlines also confirmed to the Global Times on Sunday that it has resumed its direct flight between Chengdu and Taichung on July 1. The first flight from Taichung to Chengdu carried 163 passengers. 

Shandong Airlines is expected to resume its direct Qingdao-Taichung route starting July 23, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Saturday. 

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a press conference on May 20 that the Chinese mainland is willing to actively promote any measures conducive to facilitating exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.

Zhu urged Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities to follow public opinion and respond properly to the call from the island's tourism sector, and lift unreasonable restrictions as soon as possible.

In April, the mainland announced it is accelerating the resumption of regular direct passenger flights across the Straits, as part of a package of 10 policies and measures for boosting exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan island. The policies and measures were released following a mainland visit by a delegation of Taiwan's Chinese Kuomintang party led by its chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, Xinhua reported.

The package also includes a plan to promote the resumption of individual tours to Taiwan for Shanghai and Fujian residents.