China Eastern Airlines' first cross-Strait charter flight of
2008 took off from snow-covered Shanghai on schedule on Saturday
morning, taking Taiwan compatriots home for the Spring
Festival.
The A330-300 plane, carrying 299 passengers, went through an
hour of de-icing before moving onto the runway at 11:00 a.m. at
Pudong airport.
Many of the passengers had been worried that the departure would
be postponed by bad weather. The Shanghai Municipal Observatory
Friday night upgraded the snow warning from yellow to orange,
second only to red.
China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines will operate 12 and
eight round trips, respectively, on charter flights to
Shanghai.
Wang Wanlong, the public relations manager of Shanghai Airlines,
told Xinhua that the airlines had prepared sufficient de-icing
agents.
He said that passengers could get a full refund on return
flights that were postponed or cancelled due to bad weather. The
airline would also help passengers change to flights by way of Hong
Kong or Macao to Taiwan.
Charter flights from Shanghai have been welcomed by some 1
million Taiwan compatriots working and living in the mainland's
Yangtze River Delta region. More than 210,000 Taiwan compatriots
lived in Shanghai for at least six months in 2007.
The Chinese mainland and Taiwan will arrange 94 cross-Strait
charter flights during the Lunar New Year, from Feb. 2 to 6 and
from Feb. 11 to 15, according to China's General Administration of
Civil Aviation (CAAC).
The Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 7 this year, is
the most important festive occasion for family reunions.
As in previous years, 12 airlines -- six from each side -- will
offer flights during the festival period. The airports served
include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Taipei and Kaohsiung,
according to the CAAC.
(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2008)