Starting yesterday, China will operate the air flights on the new schedule in the coming winter-spring season, today's Beijing Morning Post cited a spokesman with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) as saying.

The schedule, which rules all the domestic and the overseas carriers that have flights in and to the mainland China, will last until the end of next March.

Partly as a result of the new timetable, more flights will go between the tourist cities and the provincial capitals in the next five months, a spokesman with Air China's marketing department, who identified himself as Wang, said.

He said, according to the new schedule, Air China, China's flag carrier, will increase the domestic services during such holiday periods, as the New Year holidays, the Spring Festival, and the winter vocation for most students.

And for the overseas flights, the company will focus on the routes to Japan, Australia and the Southeast Asian areas.

Meanwhile, the CAAC's airfare policy won't change, the authority said. Except the flights on the 20 routes that it allows to offer cheap seats, no other domestic line, including the so-called "gold line" between Shanghai and Beijing, is permitted for discounts.

(eastday10/29/2001)