Aviation talks between China and Taiwan may see cross-straits flights increase from 370 per week to 500 per week.
Although negotiations are still ongoing, Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) believed that additional flights would not only meet growing demand, but also benefit passengers by pushing airfares down especially for flights to popular destinations such as Shanghai. Taiwanese carriers are also hoping to start up services to more destinations across China, reported local media.
Additionally, according to the CAA, Tainan City plans to establish direct links with the Mainland making it the ninth city in Taiwan directly connected to China.
The surge in demand is partially due to easing of visa procedures, which enables solo Mainland travellers to enter the country since the beginning of this year (see story here) and also the removal of the online visa application fee for visitors from Hong Kong and Macau (see story here).
Alisha Haridasani