Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou won't take office until next Tuesday, but the president-elect has already gotten busy trying to solidify a deal that will allow regular direct flights from the Chinese mainland. Talk of the agreement is creating a buzz on the island nation--er, territory?--as its citizens anticipate a massive influx of new tourists.

Ma has so far only committed to expanding weekend charter flights by this July, but has said he hopes to have regularly scheduled flights by the end of this year.

Taiwan first banned direct flights between China when the mainland came under Communist rule in 1949, largely over sovereignty concerns. Direct charter flights resumed under a 2006 agreement, according to the International Herald Tribune, but have only been allowed during major holidays.]]> benh 2008-05-13T13:00:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/8/23/111858/331

Investigators in Japan claim they have found a hole in the fuel tank of a China Airlines plane that might explain why it burst into a fireball moments after landing. Thankfully, all 165 passengers and crew slid down emergency chutes to safety minutes before the 737 burst into fire after landing Monday at Naha Airport in Okinawa.

That is the good news. The odd news is that China Airlines has painted over its name and logo on the wreckage, apparently to limit further damage to its image. Doesn't whiting out your airline name actually attract more attention to your airline during these trying times? Anyway, let's be glad the cause of the accident was found and no one was hurt.

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· China Airlines paints over name [mainichi-msn] ]]> markj 2007-08-23T11:18:58-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/