The Chinese mainland will give its active consideration to cross-Straits cargo charter flight service with Taiwan, a government official said Friday.

"We have noticed that views of the Taiwan side about cargo charter flight service between the mainland and Taiwan," said Tang Yi, deputy director of the Economic Affairs Bureau with Taiwan Affairs office under the State Council, or the central government.

"We give it active consideration and will have further discussions with Taiwan civil industrial groups based on the principle of 'joint participation, joint management and mutual benefits ' for both sides of the Taiwan Strait and by referring to the experience of communication during the Spring Festival non-stop charter flights. "

On Feb. 20, the HU 7952 flight of the mainland-based Hainan Airlines landed at Capital International Airport in Beijing at the end of the non-stop charter flight service across the Taiwan Strait for the Lunar New Year holiday.

More than 10,000 Taiwan business people and their families on the mainland took special charters to return home for the Lunar New Year which fell Feb. 9, flying directly across the Taiwan Strait for the first time in 56 years.

Concerning the application of Taiwan's China Airlines for using mainland's flight course for Europe, which will save Taiwan airlines both time and cost, the mainland hopes that Taiwan airline companies file their formal applications to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, Tang said.

cross-Straitss charter flights expected for Qingming Festival

Airlines across the Taiwan Strait hope to have a direct exchange of ideas on the launch of charter flights for the traditional Qingming Festival as soon as possible, said the official with the Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council.

"We hope airlines in both sides of the straits can reach consensus on the issue by referring to the experience of the Spring Festival charter flights, so as to meet the demands of Taiwan compatriots," said Tang.

The Qingming Festival, falling on April 5, is a traditional holiday for the people of Chinese ancestry to cherish the memory of the dead or worship their forefathers.

"We hope that charter flights can be operated on a regular basis in all major holidays. Fixed passenger flights are expected to be run as soon as possible to link Chinese mainland areas where business people from major cities in Taiwan live in compact communities," Tang said.

Passengers for charter flights should not be confined only to Taiwan businessmen and their families, but include people to and fro the straits with legal permits, Tang said.

The two sides of the Taiwan straits carried their first non-stop round-trip charter flights in 56 years during this Spring Festival. Statistics show that 10,771 Taiwan business people and their families took 96 charter flights, with 48 by airlines from each side of the straits, home and back to work by Feb. 20.

By People's Daily Online