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Airlines sign ground service pact
By Chen Qide (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-01-20 02:46 Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines signed an
agreement with Taipei-based China Airlines yesterday to provide ground services
for its Taiwanese counterpart when the latter's non-stop charter flight lands at
Pudong Airport on February 5.
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| Staff from Shanghai Airlines central ticket counter start to sell
tickets for non-stop cross-Straits charter flights for Taiwan business
people yesterday. The airlines' 11 ticket counters in the city have
started such service. The first flight of Shanghai Airlines will take off
from Shanghai for Taipei at 8:45 am on January 29, with return journey
costing 3,000 yuan (US$363) while a single trip pricing at 1,500 (US$181).
About 100 Taiwan business people have booked seats on the first flight by
press time. [newsphoto] | China Airlines will make
four flights to the mainland, with two to Beijing, one to Shanghai and another
to Guangzhou, said Alex Tung, assistant vice-president of the airlines' Ground
Services Division.
Under the agreement, China Airlines will also provide ground services for
charter flights operated by China Eastern, which will land at Taoyuan Airport in
Taipei.
China Eastern will fly six legs, all bound for Taipei by using 322-seat
Airbus A340-600 aircraft, with its first flight at 9 am on January 29.
Luo Chaogeng, president of China Eastern Airlines Co Ltd, will be a pilot in
the first three-crew member sortie bound for Taipei.
"We aim to provide the most reliable flights and the most-qualified services
for our passengers," Luo said.
China Eastern carried about 500,000 Taiwan business people on its air routes
from Shanghai to Hong Kong last year, where they transferred planes.
"So I believe there will be enough passenger demand for these charter
flights," he said.
The carrier has opened more than 40 ticket sales outlets citywide. A return
ticket between Shanghai and Taipei is priced at 3,000 yuan (US$363) to 3,700
yuan (US$448) and a single ticket at 1,500 yuan (US$182) to 1,800 yuan (US$218).
The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China on Tuesday decided to
designate six mainland airlines for cross-Straits charter flights during the
coming Lunar New Year holiday.
They are Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai
Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines.
The airlines will operate 24 flights between Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and
Taiwan's two biggest cities, Taipei and Kaohsiung, from January 29 to February
20.
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