Taiwan Introduces More Flights

Taiwan inaugurated two new more direct flight routes to China yesterday, cutting flying time for cross straits passengers.The first direct route was opened last Dec. 15 to Northern China. Of the new routes, one links Taiwan with Southern China's province of Guangdong, while the other takes planes in the direction of Northern China. Both involve direct contact between Taiwanese and Chinese air traffic control, using English as the required international language of communication.

Taipei and Guangzhou air traffic control chiefs first made contact at 8:30 a.m. yesterday to discuss preparations for the southern R200 route. The northern B591 route was the topic of conversation between Taipei and Shanghai air traffic control, with Air China flight 185 from Beijing the first aircraft to use the new route. The plane crossed into Taiwanese air traffic control space at 10:49 a.m. and landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 11:35. The plane was forced to leave part of the new route because of a Japanese airliner nearby.

On the new southern route, China Southern flight 3097 took off from Guangzhou at 11:42 a.m., 12 minutes behind schedule. The plane reached Taiwanese air traffic control space at 12:21 p.m. and landed at Taoyuan at 1:30 p.m., reports said.Taiwan and China first introduced direct charter flights on weekends beginning July 2008.