325 extra cross-Straits flights in Spring Festival

BEIJING - The Chinese mainland has approved 325 extra flights across the Taiwan Strait during the nation's traditional family-gathering Spring Festival, official figures revealed on Wednesday.

The mainland's civil aviation authority received 340 applications for extra flights from airline companies of both the mainland and Taiwan, said Yang Yi, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office.

The civil aviation authority approved 224 of those extra flights, including four chartered flights, to be operated by six mainland airlines, and 101 of 110 applications by six airlines based in Taiwan were approved, according to Yang.

It is hoped that extra cross-Straits flights will help Chinese living and working on the other side to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year with their family members.

The spokesman said the extra flights will shuttle between Taiwan and 22 mainland cities, including eight new destinations of Urumqi, Hohhot and Yinchuan in northwest and north China.

Extra flights for Spring Festival have been allowed since 2003. This year, the Lunar New Year starts on February 10.