Flight FM810 from Kaohsiung landed at Shanghai Pudong Airport at 19:17 Monday. So far all the Taiwan businessmen Spring Festival charter flights before the 2005 Lunar New Year have been successfully completed. The first two-way direct flights across the Straits in 56 years have come to a perfect "comma".

The notable 2005 Taiwan businessmen Spring Festival charter flights began on Jan. 29. According to statistics provided by the competent aviation departments in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou 4,641 Taiwan businessmen and their family members have boarded the charter flights on their way to spend the festival in Taiwan. Another 1,236 Taiwan compatriots have come to the mainland aboard the charter flights. Among them 654 passengers have departed for Taiwan from Beijing and 558 have come to Beijing. There have been 2,336 passengers who took off from Shanghai and 343 who have arrived there. Altogether 1,651 passengers have flown for Taiwan from Guangzhou and 335 have arrived in Guangzhou. "Convenient, faster and cheaper" is the feeling shared by all the Taiwan compatriots on board the charter flights.

Six mainland airlines and five Taiwan airlines launched the charter flight service before the Spring Festival. The six mainland airlines have completed 16 flights back and forth and the five Taiwan airlines have finished 12 flights. All the flights have been rounded off both safely and smoothly.

The Taiwan businessmen Spring Festival charter flights will resume on Feb. 13 after the festival and last until Feb. 20. The Taiwan Mandarin Airlines will begin its service in the charter flights after the festival and its first flight will land in Guangzhou on Feb.13, which is to kick off the post-festival charter flight service.

By People's Daily Online