Direct flights between Kaohsiung, Ningbo resume

BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Direct flights operated by Spring Airlines between Kaohsiung and Ningbo resumed on Saturday, marking the latest restoration of cross-Strait air services.

This route will operate twice a week, with flights scheduled every Tuesday and Saturday.

Spring Airlines said passengers traveling between the two cities previously had to make transfers, with one-way journeys usually taking more than five hours. With the resumption of direct flights, travel time has been shortened to around two hours, greatly improving travel efficiency.

Several mainland airlines have recently resumed direct cross-Strait routes. China Eastern Airlines resumed direct flights between Taichung and Chengdu on July 1, while Shandong Airlines is expected to resume direct flights between Taichung and Qingdao on July 23.

China Eastern said the first resumed flight from Taichung to Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province, had carried 163 passengers. Local tourism operators said that, thanks to the restoration of direct flights, bookings for tours from Taichung to Sichuan are already extended several months ahead.

Zhang Wen, general manager overseeing Spring Airlines' Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan business, said demand for the newly resumed route has been strong, with ticket sales remaining brisk since presales began.

On April 12, the Chinese mainland rolled out a package of 10 policies and measures, spanning inter-party communication, infrastructure, travel, trade and culture, aimed at boosting exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan.