Six Taiwan-based airline companies on Friday announced their plans for direct chartered flights across the Taiwan Straits during the Spring Festival, Chinese Lunar New Year, according to local media in the island.

The first flight by China Airlines, between Taipei and Shanghai, is scheduled to take off at Taipei's airport at 7:45 AM on January 20, 2006, and return from Shanghai airport at 12:10 the same day.

Meanwhile, six mainland airlines will join in the chartered flights across the Straits from next year's January 20 to February 13.

In related developments, the mainland's flag-carrier Air China has published its Spring Festival package on chartered flights across the Straits. The airlines plans to make 12 two-way flights on Beijing-Taipei and Beijing-Kaohsiung routes from January 25 to February 5.

Air China's prices are 4,960 yuan (about US$620) for one-way business-class and 7,600 yuan (about US$950) for return business-class, while the one-way and two-way tickets for tourist class are sold at 3,100 yuan (about US$385) and 4,800 yuan (about US$600).
 
(Xinhua News Agency December 10, 2005)