Cross-Strait Flights Surge, Taichung Becomes Frontline for China Expansion! Why Are New Direct Flights to Mainland China Concentrating in Taichung? Shen You-Zhong: Applications Will Be Reviewed Based on Airline Assessments

Cross-strait air travel is experiencing a surge, with four mainland Chinese airlines launching or resuming direct flights to Taiwan in July. China Eastern Airlines resumed its Taichung–Chengdu route on July 1, operating every Wednesday and Sunday. Shandong Airlines restarted its Taichung–Qingdao service on July 23, flying weekly on Thursdays. Spring Airlines launched a new Kaohsiung–Ningbo route on July 4, operating every Tuesday and Saturday. The latest update confirms that Zhejiang Loong Airlines will launch a Taichung–Chengdu Tianfu Airport route on July 28, flying every Tuesday and Saturday, as verified by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).

To date, Taiwan has opened 15 regular flight destinations to mainland China, including Beijing, Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Xiamen, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Qingdao, Wuhan, Ningbo, and Zhengzhou, allowing up to 420 weekly flights. Additionally, 13 charter flight destinations are open, including Shenyang, Wuxi, Haikou, Changsha, Xi’an, Jinan, Hefei, Nanchang, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Dalian, Guilin, and Xuzhou. Airlines may apply for charter flights during holiday seasons such as Lunar New Year, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. The Civil Aeronautics Administration has also stated that if demand is sufficient, charter destinations may be converted into regular flight points.

Why are the newly launched or resumed cross-strait routes this summer heavily concentrated in Taichung? On July 27, MAC Vice Chair Shen You-Zhong responded to media inquiries during a public event.

Shen explained: 'These decisions are business-driven. First, all these destinations are existing points. Second, resuming flights on existing routes depends on flight volume and demand, which we can assess. This is not about adding new destinations. Whether this concentration in Taichung reflects a specific strategy, I believe it’s simply that airlines are evaluating their cost-benefit ratios, and at this stage, it happens to be Taichung. As for whether flights to other cities will be considered under existing routes, any airline application will be reviewed.'