China, Taiwan Launch Direct Flights
January 31 2005
A(n) historic day in China on Saturday as the first nonstop flight in 55 years between Taiwan and mainland China landed in Taipei. A China Southern charter was the first flights between China and Taiwan that did not require a stop in a third country since 1949. The charters were launched in conjunction with the lunar New Year, though many believe this is a major step toward scheduled service between Taiwan and China.
As ATW noted, in a diplomatic gesture, China’s flag carrier, Air China, did not carry the communist flag on its fuselage.
