Cross-Strait Air Travel Boom? 'One-City Direct Flight Ban Lifted' – 3 Major Airlines Resume Full Operations, Latest Routes Revealed

New developments are emerging in the cross-strait aviation market! China Airlines has announced it will officially resume its regular 'Taoyuan–Chongqing' passenger flights starting October 28, 2024. This route was suspended in February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cross-strait passenger restrictions. After a six-year hiatus, its revival stands out as a rare expansion of national airline networks in recent years.

According to the latest flight plans revealed by global aviation route information website 'AeroRoutes,' China Airlines will operate the resumed service using the A321neo aircraft, offering round-trip flights every Wednesday and Saturday. The outbound flight CI553 is scheduled to depart Taoyuan International Airport at 15:30 and arrive at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport at 19:00. The return flight CI554 will depart Chongqing at 20:00 and arrive back in Taoyuan at 23:00.

What direct flight options are available to Chongqing? Which airlines provide services?

Prior to China Airlines’ announcement of resuming the Taoyuan route, air connectivity between Taiwan and Chongqing was already served by multiple carriers. Currently, direct flights from Taoyuan to Chongqing are operated by Air China. In southern Taiwan, China Airlines has continuously operated the Kaohsiung–Chongqing route. Meanwhile, Sichuan Airlines offers direct flights from Taipei Songshan Airport to Chongqing. With China Airlines rejoining operations on the Taoyuan route, travelers will now enjoy greater flexibility in airport and departure time choices when traveling to Chongqing.

Are cross-strait routes gradually being restored? What new routes have launched since summer?

Since the start of this summer, the cross-strait air network has shown signs of steady recovery, with several airlines announcing the launch or resumption of popular routes. For example, China Eastern Airlines resumed the Taichung–Chengdu route, Shandong Airlines restarted flights between Taichung and Qingdao, Spring Airlines launched a new route from Kaohsiung to Ningbo, and Zhejiang Loong Airlines opened the Taichung–Chengdu Tianfu route. China Airlines’ restart of the Taoyuan–Chongqing route further confirms that pent-up demand in the cross-strait aviation market is gradually being released.