The CA197 flight of Air China took off at 8:52 a.m. Wednesday from Beijing to Taipei, marking the prelude of the non-stop chartered flights between the two cities in 2006.

Sources with the Beijing Customs said the flight carried an eight-member crew and 94 passengers.

A brief farewell ceremony was held at the Beijing Capital International Airport. Participants included officials from the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Beijing Municipal Government and Air China.

Beijing Customs has opened a special channel for passengers of the chartered flights and set up a working team to deal with unexpected cases.

Source: Xinhua