A group of opposition legislators is scheduled to head to Beijing on Thursday to meet with China's aviation authorities about cross-strait indirect charter flights -- although they don't have government permission to do so.
Five opposition lawmakers, led by the KMT Legislator John Chang (章孝嚴), will meet officials from China's Civil Aviation Administration to discuss over Taipei's plan to allow domestic airline companies to fly China-based Taiwanese businesspeople and their families home during the Lunar New Year holidays.
"I am confident the cross-strait indirect charter flights services will begin this coming Lunar New Year holiday as long as the Tai-wan government consents to the initiative and is prepared to promote it," Chang said.
He said he looks forward to the implementation of the indirect charter flight service.
Although he said many technical details need to be tackled as soon as possible as the holidays are drawing near.
The government decided last Friday that indirect charter flights services would be allowed during a 16-day Lunar New Year holiday period as long as the airplanes stop over in Hong Kong or Macau.
The government also said that Shanghai would be the main departure site for such flights.
While Taipei wants its carriers to operate such flights, Beijing said last week it wishes China-owned carriers could join the operation.
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