Cross-strait Charter

Cross-strait Charter

The cross-strait charters (simplified Chinese: 两岸包机; traditional Chinese: 兩岸包機; pinyin: liǎng'àn bāojī) are special flights between Taiwan and China, across the Taiwan Strait. After the Chinese Civil War, no direct flights were allowed between Taiwan and China due to mistrust and security concerns; this remained the case until 2003. Passengers had to transfer in a third city, such as Hong Kong, to complete their trip.

For the years 2003 and 2005, the scheme was restricted for the Chinese New Year period, so it was then called the Lunar New Year cross-strait charter (simplified Chinese: 两岸春节包机; traditional Chinese: 兩岸春節包機; pinyin: liǎng'àn chūnjié bāojī) in Taiwan, and the charter for Taiwan residents (simplified Chinese: 台湾居民包机; traditional Chinese: 臺灣居民包機; pinyin: táiwān jūmín bāojī) in China. For these years, the scheme was restricted for Taiwanese businessmen and their family members (excluding students and tourists) who are in China to travel to and from Taiwan.

In 2006, the service was opened to all residents of Taiwan for the first time. From the Mid-Autumn Festival on 2006, the valid period of the agreement was expanded to four main Chinese festivals: Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and the original Chinese New Year.

In July 2008, charter flights expanded to weekends. Flight restrictions on nationalities were removed and China residents as well as foreign citizens were able to take the flights.

In November 2008, flights became daily instead only for the weekends. 108 weekly flights were established and the planes no longer had to travel through Hong Kong airspace, cutting travel times by two thirds in some cases such as flying from Taipei to Shanghai.

In April 2009, a new agreement was reached to allow cross-strait flights to became regularly scheduled instead of chartered. The cap on the flights was also raised to 270 flights per week, becoming effective from 31 August 2009. On 22 May 2010, another 100 additional weekly flights are permitted to be operated effective 14 June 2010, and added Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shijiazhuang Airport to the list of allowed destinations.