Pingtan-Taiwan to get two more direct air routes

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2012-12-12

At least two more direct passenger air routes between Pingtan and Taiwan will open next year, and more airfreight routes are in consideration to feed the increasing transportation needs across the Straits, according to Taiwan's transportation department, reported www.chinanews.com on Dec 7.

Taiwan statistics show that outbound passengers from Taichung Port reached 15,000 this year, a record-breaking year-on-year increase of 51.7 percent. The increase is due to the opening of Cosco Star, the first ship traveling across the Taiwan Straits between Xiamen and Keelung, and the Haixia ship, ferrying between Pingtan and Taichung.

According to the maritime and port bureau in Taiwan, two other ships, Taimin Star and Natchan Rera, are applying to open direct routes between Pingtan and Keelung, and Pingtan and Taipei, respectively.

In addition, the number of inbound passengers at Taiwan airports in December reached 3.77 million, increasing 7.4 percent from the same period last year. Taiwan's inbound tourists increased by 15.1 percent to 61,000 in December, the first two-digit increase in the past 12 consecutive months.

Taiwan's civil aviation department expects direct flights across the Straits will exceed 5,000 as cooperation between two sides expands.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Michael Thai