New air route cuts travel time for cities

Direct flights between Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport and Taipei's Songshan Airport were launched on Monday morning, significantly decreasing travel time across the Straits.

The new direct flight route will shorten the travelers' time by two hours, as the two airports are located near the city centers and travelers will spend less time on the ground commute.

The two cities already operate direct flights between their two larger international terminals - Taoyuan Airport in Taipei and Pudong Airport in Shanghai - each of which is an hour away from its respective city center.

"Although flight time between Songshan and Hongqiao is 90 minutes, the same as the Taoyuan-Pudong route, it can save me two hours on my ground commute," said Hsu Cheng-lung, a Taiwan businessman who was on board Monday morning's flight operated by a Taiwan-based airlines.

Hsu, who owns a factory in Kunshan near Shanghai, travels between Taipei and Shanghai three to four times a month.

"Saving time is the most important thing for a businessman," he said.

According to agreements from both sides, there will be 28 flights per week between the two terminals, half operated by Taiwan airlines and half by mainland airlines. After the infrastructure at the Songshan airport is upgraded, flights between the two terminals may be added.

Among the passengers of the premier flight was a delegation of local officials and legislators from Taipei, including Mayor Hau Lung-bin.

"I said 'good morning' to people in Taipei before I took the flight, and I was still able to say that to people in Shanghai after the 90-minute flight," said a cheerful Hau shortly after his arrival at Hongqiao airport.

"Exchanges between Taipei and Shanghai are sure to become more active with the launch of the new route, and we are looking forward to more companies setting up offices in Taipei," he said.

"It will also be more convenient for mainland travelers who have visited the Taipei Pavilion of the Expo to fly to Taipei and see for themselves what the city is like," he added.

Hau is expected to attend a series of events in Shanghai during three-day visit to promote Taipei Cultural Week in Shanghai and the upcoming International Floral Exposition to be held in Taipei in November this year.

He will also attend the Taipei Day of Expo 2010 Shanghai, which falls on June 16.

It was already Hau's second visit to Shanghai following Mayor Han Zheng's maiden visit to Taipei in early April.

Ties between the two cities are growing increasingly closer following historic exchanges between top-level officials and businessmen from both sides of the Straits.

Source: Xinhua