BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- With preparations complete, chartered passenger flights traversing both sides of the Taiwan Strait are ready for take-off, according to information from various airlines.

    Taiwan's China Airlines (CAL) will operate two fully-booked flights between Taipei and Shanghai on Friday, kicking off non-stop, cross-strait chartered passenger flights for the upcoming lunar New Year holidays beginning from Jan. 29.

    CAL and five other Taiwan carriers have assigned excellent crew members and large Airbus and Boeing planes to carry out the mission connecting Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan with Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Xiamen on the mainland in the holiday season ending Feb. 7.

    Six mainland airlines will also offer air service between the mainland and Taiwan. Air China has decided to have three new planes painted with Olympic Games patterns, while East China Airlines will use the long-range A340-600.

    Airports in cities on the mainland are well-prepared for the chartered flights. Many cities offer fast-track services to help passengers go through boarding or landing procedures.

    Airplanes scheduled for Shanghai-based Pudong Airport may land in nearby Nanjing City Airport if weather conditions are unfavorable in Shanghai.

    Air tickets for the chartered flights are almost sold out. The occupancy of Air China's chartered flights had risen from 80 percent last year to the current 100 percent.

    In total, the 12 companies will operate 72 flights this year, as compared with 48 flights in 2005.

    Mainland and Taiwan first agreed to offer the non-stop chartered flights for the lunar New Year holidays in 2005. But it only limited to Taiwan businessmen and their relatives living on the mainland. This year, all Taiwan residents are eligible for the service.

    The non-stop chartered flights will fly via Hong Kong. Enditem