Chinese mainland authorities have approved applications by Taiwanese airlines to fly home tourists from the island by chartered flights. The tourists have been evacuated from quake-hit Sichuan province to neighboring Chongqiang.

Taiwan's China Airlines, EVA Air and TransAsia Airways will each arrange a flight on Friday to the Jiangbei International Airport in Chongqing, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said.

More than 1,000 Taiwan tourists from 18 tour groups were stranded in the airport of Jiuzhaigou, a scenic spot of Sichuan Province after a 7.8-magnitude quake jolted the province and affected many other areas on Monday afternoon.

Acting upon instructions from the civil aviation administration, the Sichuan Airlines had earlier flew 1,070 Taiwan tourists to Chongqing from Jiuzhaigou in 12 flights.

The flight of China Airlines will arrive in Chongqing at 1:35 a.m. Saturday and leave one and a half hours later. The EVA Air flight will arrive at 10 p.m. Friday and leave at 2 a.m. Saturday. The TransAsia flight will arrive at 6:20 p.m. Friday and leave at 8:20 p.m. Friday.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China also approved another flight of the Taiwan based Mandarin Airlines to carry 20 Taiwan professional rescuers and their equipment to Sichuan capital Chengdu.

The rescue team organized by the red cross society of Taiwan will arrive in Chengdu at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2008)