Spring Airlines Partners With China Eastern and Shandong to Restore Key Direct Cross-Strait Routes Between Mainland China and Taiwan, Slashing Journey Times and Reviving Tourism, Business and Family Travel Across the Region—Here’s Why It Matters for Your Next Trip

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Direct Cross-Strait Flights are gathering pace once again as multiple Chinese mainland airlines restore passenger services linking key mainland cities with Taiwan, creating faster, more convenient travel options for leisure travellers, business visitors and family reunions. The latest network expansion includes the return of the Ningbo–Kaohsiung, Chengdu–Taichung, and soon the Qingdao–Taichung routes, reducing travel times dramatically while strengthening aviation links across one of East Asia’s most closely watched travel corridors. The renewed services arrive amid broader efforts to improve regional connectivity and revive tourism flows after years of reduced operations.

For the travel industry, the restoration represents more than simply adding flights back to schedules. Direct Cross-Strait Flights shorten journeys by several hours, improve onward domestic connections across mainland China, stimulate inbound tourism demand and support airlines rebuilding international capacity. High passenger occupancy on newly resumed routes also reflects strong pent-up demand among leisure travellers visiting religious attractions, cultural destinations and commercial centres. As airlines continue rebuilding networks, the return of these routes may become one of the most significant aviation developments influencing travel between mainland China and Taiwan during 2026.

Direct Cross-Strait Aviation Network Continues to Expand

China’s aviation market continues to witness a gradual restoration of international and regional connectivity, with several mainland airlines reintroducing suspended passenger services across the Taiwan Strait.

The latest expansion has been led by Spring Airlines, which has resumed scheduled direct flights between Ningbo in Zhejiang Province and Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. The low-cost carrier now operates the service twice every week using Airbus A320 aircraft, offering passengers a significantly shorter journey than previously available transfer itineraries.

The route immediately improves accessibility for travellers moving between eastern China and southern Taiwan, eliminating lengthy stopovers that previously pushed total travel times beyond five hours.

According to airline operational information, direct services now reduce the journey to approximately two hours, representing a major improvement for both tourism and business mobility.

Multiple Airlines Restore Key Taiwan Routes

The latest developments involve several mainland carriers rebuilding direct passenger connectivity.

Together, these services reconnect eastern, western and northern mainland China with major Taiwanese cities, providing broader geographic coverage than before.

How the Restored Routes Are Reshaping Cross-Strait Travel Choices

The latest wave of restored direct cross-Strait flights is more than a simple reinstatement of suspended air services. Each route serves a distinct travel market, reflecting different tourism patterns, commercial ties and regional demand. The Ningbo–Kaohsiung service primarily benefits leisure travellers, religious pilgrims and those visiting friends and relatives by cutting journey times from more than five hours with a transfer to around two hours nonstop. Meanwhile, the Chengdu–Taichung route reconnects western China with central Taiwan, creating more efficient access for business travellers, students and holidaymakers while strengthening links between two important economic regions. The planned Qingdao–Taichung service is expected to further enhance connectivity between northern mainland China and central Taiwan, supporting tourism, trade and family travel. Collectively, these routes diversify cross-Strait access beyond the traditional gateways and provide travellers with more direct options, reducing reliance on connecting itineraries and improving the overall passenger experience.

Travel Media Insight: Rather than concentrating traffic through a limited number of major gateways, the restoration of these city pairs reflects a broader strategy of rebuilding regional point-to-point connectivity, allowing travellers to reach their destinations faster while distributing tourism and economic benefits across multiple cities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Travel Time Falls Dramatically for Passengers

One of the most noticeable benefits for travellers is the sharp reduction in overall journey duration.

Before the restoration of direct operations, many passengers travelling between Ningbo and Kaohsiung were required to transfer through third destinations, increasing travel complexity while extending total transit times.

The resumed direct operation removes these inconveniences.

Shorter flight durations are expected to appeal particularly to:

Strong Passenger Demand Signals Tourism Recovery

The resumed Ningbo–Kaohsiung route has already demonstrated encouraging commercial performance.

Aircraft occupancy has reportedly exceeded 90%, indicating significant passenger demand shortly after operations restarted.

Most travellers departing Taiwan are leisure visitors exploring destinations across mainland China.

One of the most popular attractions remains Mount Putuo, one of China’s most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations located in Zhejiang Province.

Many passengers also continue onwards through domestic airline networks to cities including:

• Lanzhou
• Xi’an
• Shenyang
• Changchun

This highlights an important aviation trend whereby restored international or regional services stimulate wider domestic tourism rather than serving only point-to-point demand.

Taiwan Tourism Benefits from Better Regional Connectivity

The restoration of direct services is expected to generate broader tourism benefits across both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Improved air access generally supports:

Tourism businesses including hotels, transport providers, restaurants and attractions could benefit from increasing visitor numbers if additional routes continue reopening.

China’s Aviation Recovery Continues Beyond Domestic Markets

The resumption forms part of China’s wider aviation recovery following several years of international disruption.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), China’s civil aviation sector handled more than 730 million passenger trips during 2025, surpassing previous historical highs as airlines restored both domestic and international operations.

Although international recovery has varied across different regions, cross-Strait aviation has become an increasingly important component of network rebuilding because of historically strong passenger demand.

The reopening of multiple Taiwan routes demonstrates airlines’ confidence that sufficient market demand now exists to sustain regular scheduled services.

Why Direct Cross-Strait Flights Matter for Travellers

The restoration carries practical advantages extending well beyond convenience.

Travellers now benefit from:

For travel agencies, tour operators and corporate travel managers, these developments create greater flexibility when designing itineraries covering mainland China and Taiwan.

Policy Developments Continue Supporting Air Connectivity

The return of scheduled services follows broader measures introduced during 2026 aimed at encouraging greater exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.

Authorities announced policies supporting:

• Restoration of regular passenger flights
• Tourism cooperation
• Cultural exchanges
• Educational interaction
• Business engagement

The wider aviation strategy seeks to rebuild passenger mobility gradually while improving transport accessibility between both sides.

Although not every historical route has yet resumed, industry observers expect additional city pairs to return if demand continues strengthening.

Comparing Today’s Network with Earlier Operations

Before the pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions, dozens of direct routes connected mainland China and Taiwan.

Current restoration remains gradual.

The phased approach enables airlines to match aircraft deployment with evolving passenger demand while maintaining operational efficiency.

Practical Information for Travellers Planning Taiwan and Mainland China Trips

Passengers considering travel on these routes should monitor airline schedules carefully because frequencies remain lower than historical levels.

Travellers are advised to:

As additional routes return, greater competition may also create improved fare options across different markets.

Growing Momentum Could Shape the Next Phase of Regional Aviation

The reopening of direct passenger services represents a significant milestone in rebuilding East Asian aviation connectivity.

Rather than focusing solely on restoring previous schedules, airlines appear to be prioritising routes demonstrating immediate commercial viability, high passenger demand and strong tourism potential.

If current occupancy levels remain consistently high, further expansion may include additional frequencies, new city pairs and stronger integration between domestic and regional airline networks.

For travellers, the continued revival of Direct Cross-Strait Flights promises shorter journeys, greater convenience and broader destination choices across one of Asia’s most important travel markets.