Eastern China Air to set up in Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan, July 6 (UPI) -- China Eastern Airlines has become the first People's Republic of China aviation company approved to set up an office in Taipei, an airline official said Sunday.

The airline will provide charter flight services from Taiwan to mainland China, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Cao Jianxiong, general manager of China Eastern Airlines, said five people will create a "preparatory office" as the first step to starting services in Taiwan. An airport liaison officer and an aircraft maintenance supervisor are already in place, he said.

"We wish to employ Taiwan stewards to serve on our flights across the Taiwan Straits if a ban on this is removed by Taiwan authorities," Cao said.

He said the current arrangements of trans-Strait flights could not satisfy the needs travelers.

Under an agreement signed last month, 36 return flights will operate every weekend, Friday to Monday, divided evenly between mainland and Taiwan airlines. Previously, services only ran during major Chinese festivals.

"We hope to operate daily flights. Even 10 return flights are not enough on the Shanghai-Taipei route each day," he said.