Stewardesses welcome the passengers aboard a charter flight across the Taiwan Straits at the Gaoqi International Airport in Xiamen, southeastern China's Fujian Province, Sept. 21, 2007. A Mid-Autumn Festival chartered flight with 166 passengers across the Taiwan Strait took off in Xiamen for Taiwan on Friday afternoon. (Xinhua/Zhang Guojun) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chartered flights across the Taiwan Strait for the Mid-Autumn Festival have started off, under the framework of a bilateral agreement to increase direct air links during traditional Chinese festivals.

    Mainland's Air China and Xiamen airlines and Taiwan's Uni Air each made its first flight on Friday.

    The Mid-Autumn charter flights will last through Oct. 2, according to the bilateral agreement between China's mainland and Taiwan Province.

    This year's Mid-Autumn Day falls on Sept. 25, according to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar.

    In recent years, the mainland has made efforts to promote the "Three Direct Links," referring to direct trade, transport and mail services across the Strait.

    Millions of Taiwan people are living or doing business in the mainland. Many in Taiwan are urging the authorities to open wider to the mainland, by approving direct trade, transport and mail services across the strait and allowing more mainland people to visit Taiwan.

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