CHINA'S transport sector including highways, railways and airlines are busy preparing for the upcoming annual peak travel season that will begin this weekend.

The 40-day-long traditional spring travel season will start on Jan. 14 and end Feb. 22, occurring shortly before and after the Spring Festival.

China's passenger flow during the 2006 spring travel season is expected to hit 2.042 billion persons, up 3.1 percent over the equivalent time last year, according to the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC).

An estimated 144 million persons will travel by train in China during this period, averaging 3.6 million per day, say the SDRC.

The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) predicts that a total of 15 million passengers will travel by plane during the period, up 9.4 percent.

The authorities also revealed the schedules for the charter flights between the mainland and Taiwan during the Spring Festival yesterday. In line with an agreement, the charter flights will operate for 19 days from Jan. 20 to Feb.7.

The number of mainland cities to be linked with Taiwan by the charter flights will be increased by one, with Xiamen added to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Taipei and Kaoshiung will remain the two destinations on the island to be serviced by the flights.

Six mainland and six Taiwanese airlines will operate a total of 48 charter flights, carrying more than 10,000 mainland-based Taiwanese businessmen and their families home and then back again.

Air Macao plans to add 52 extra flights for the festival between Jan. 24 and Feb. 3.

The flights will cover foreign and domestic tourism destinations including Seoul, Beijing, Taipei, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guilin.

Editor: Wing