Direct flights between SZ and Taiwan resume

Shenzhen Airlines’ flight ZH9071, carrying 143 passengers, most of whom were Taiwan compatriots, left Shenzhen for Taipei at 9:45 a.m. yesterday, marking the resumption of cross-Strait direct flights between Shenzhen and Taiwan after being suspended for nearly three years due to COVID-19.

Taiwan’s China Airlines also resumed the direct flight service to Shenzhen yesterday, with the first flight arriving in Shenzhen at 4:40 p.m. It will resume its flights between Shenzhen and Kaohsiung of Taiwan before the end of April, with flights operating twice a week.

Taiwan’s UNI Air will also resume the nonstop flights between Shenzhen and Taipei starting from March 30, while the China Southern Airlines will resume the service starting from March 31. A total of 22 direct flights a week will go between Shenzhen and Taipei by the end of March.

Shenzhen Airlines opened the direct flights between Shenzhen and Taipei in 2008.

In 2019, the Shenzhen airport transported 654,000 passengers to and from Taiwan, ranking fourth in the country. Trade between Shenzhen and Taiwan reached 382.3 billion yuan (US$55.66 billion) in 2022, accounting for one-sixth of the country’s total cross-Strait trade, according to official data.

Passengers aboard Shenzhen Airlines’ flight ZH9071 pose for a photo yesterday. The flight, carrying 143 passengers, left Shenzhen for Taipei at 9:45 a.m. yesterday, marking the resumption of cross-Strait direct flights between Shenzhen and Taiwan after a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19. Photos by Hu Lei

A flight attendant greets a passenger before she boards Shenzhen Airlines’ flight ZH9071 yesterday. 

Passengers and flight attendants pose for a photo before boarding Shenzhen Airlines’ flight ZH9071 yesterday.