The Kuomintang (KMT) party has selected four Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xiamen - as destinations for a proposed scheme of weekend charter flights to the mainland, the Commercial Times reported.

The report quoted Chen Shih-yi, a spokesman for the KMT-sponsored National Policy Foundation, as saying that the plans are based on an initiative by president-elect Ma Ying-jeou for direct weekend charters, which will save on the need to detour over Hong Kong airspace before landing on the mainland.

The National Policy Foundation earlier proposed to Ma that civic organizations like Taipei's airline association be commissioned to conduct negotiations on technical issues with their Chinese counterparts ahead of his taking office on May 20, he added.

Chen said more Chinese cities will be included as destinations for weekend charter flights a month after they are launched.

In June 2006, Taipei and Beijing announced a decision to allow Taiwanese airlines and their mainland counterparts to operate charter flights during the Lunar New Year, Tomb Sweeping Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.

The nonstop charter passenger flights, however, currently need to fly over Hong Kong air space.

Meanwhile, special cargo flights are available only for Taiwan businesses to transport their machinery, equipment, components and parts for their production plants on the mainland.

Businesses are also able to bring back their machinery and equipment to Taiwan through the special cargo flights, although these are done on a case-by-case basis.