Travel agencies in Shanghai are still trying to understand the implications of a weekend announcement by the country's aviation watchdog banning "red-eye flights," but travelers may end up paying more for their next trip to Hainan Island or the preserved forest of Zhangjiajie.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China announced the ban in reaction to the crash of two Chinese airplanes within a month.

Red-eye flights were introduced to China in the last few years as domestic airlines try to cash in on growing market demand during China's three weeklong holidays to mark International Labor Day, National Day and Spring Festival.

"Understandably, safety on those flights is comparatively less guaranteed when pilots, cabin crew, as well as air traffic control officers and ground staff are working during later hours of the day or early hours in the morning," said an official at Shanghai's Hongqiao airport who decline to be named.

Some large travel agencies sell seats on charted red-eye flights to China's most-popular tourist destinations. If the red-eye flights are canceled, those trips will become more expensive, they say.

A five-day package tour to Hainan on a red-eye flight can cost as little as 1,490 yuan (US$180), said Xie Fei, an official with the Shanghai branch of China Travel Service Company.

"If the red-eye flights are canceled, the package will cost about 400 yuan (US$48) more," said Xie.

While most travel agencies contacted by Shanghai Daily yesterday said they don't operate many charter flights, one employee of the Shanghai Spring International Travel Service Company, one of the country's largest travel agencies, said the company runs a daily charter to Hainan.

But the company, as well as various airlines and airports around the country, is still unsure how the CAAC defines the term red-eye flight.

No CAAC officials could be reached yesterday for a definition, but internationally, it is widely agreed among industry officials that the term usually applies to flights departing between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., or arriving after 12.30 a.m., regardless of what time they depart.

"So far, no changes have been made to our company's scheduled operations and we haven't received any formal notice from the CAAC about cancellation of any of our flights," said Wang Wanlong, a spokesman of Shanghai Airlines.

Both Pudong and Hongqiao airports handle several domestic red-eye flights every night, but neither has announced any schedule changes.

There are also several international flights, mostly Europe-bound, departing from Pudong International Airport after 10 p.m., but both airport officials and airline staff said these flights won't be affected by the CAAC ban.

Search teams seek black box

Search teams aided by detection equipment from the United States homed in yesterday on missing flight recorders that could help explain why a China Northern Airlines jetliner plunged into the sea, killing all 112 people on board.

Divers and sonar-equipped ships have narrowed the search for the "black box" recorders to within a 100-meter radius, China Central Television said in its main midday news broadcast.

CCTV said more than 80 boats have joined search and salvage efforts. Some 50 divers also are working around the clock in shifts, but have been hampered by poor visibility underwater.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-82's nose cone, landing gear, an emergency exit, electronic equipment, and large pieces of the cockpit and fuselage have already been pulled from the sea, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Relatives of all 103 passengers who died in the May 7 air crash will get between 182,000 yuan (US$21,927) and 194,000 (US$23,467) yuan in compensation, Jiang Lianying, general manager of China Northern Airlines announced yesterday.

According to Jiang, the sum will not include money already given to victims' relatives for living expenses, funeral expenses or accommodation in Dalian, nor will it affect allowances to the relatives by the government or the victims' employers.

(eastday.com May 14, 2002)